Packing and Brooklyn

The Ritchey Break-Away has been a blessing, just like a suitcase through the airport, it is a lot easier to handle, but the packing has been a pain (last time it took me 1 hour 45 minutes plus!). This time I went outside at home with a cup of coffee and took to it. I figured the order to put everything in and it fit I was done in just under 45 minutes (still not the "claimed" 20 minute pack). Some time would have been reduced if I had my supplements right there and my kit already packed.

I'm in a hotel, and I requested a fridge so I could eat salads yogurt and the like, and I found another GREAT grocery store (I wish I had a kitchen to cook) Fairway Market. The apple isle and the olive oil/balsamic vinegar tasting section is just a little sample of the store!

And in front of the store is some Pavé, I also saw some in SoHo and further downtown.

The hotel has bikes to check out and I took out a single speed bike and ventured around the "hood" and got my bearings on where laundromats, substations etc. were and how to get back to my hotel. Then that night I put together the Ritchey and the next day I was at work on scaffolding at 5:00 a.m. The Statue of Liberty is just outside the window of Restaurant, and I can see he from the staff cafe. Last month I could see the Golden Gate from the staff cafe. 

Thursday night I went to Prospect Park to pick on the locals and ended up getting my Butt handed to me on a platter by one guy doing sprint intervals (it was great). Best I did all night was 2 bike lengths behind him, If I had lighter bike, maybe I could have held his wheel a little bit longer but I've lost a lot of my kick.

Friday work and early to bed, then Saturday I hopped the train into town and at the terminal there were "real" break dancers. And they were just too fast for my silly little camera phone.

Once outside I started at the Empire State Building where I took photos of a bar that I had site dimensioned using the virtual space in AutoCAD, digital measuring device and laser level, along with CNC'd templates (a lot of technology for 2004). The bar fit perfectly, that is also saying a lot for Erk's cabinetmakers which were and still are some of the best I have ever seen.

I walked down 5th ave. and had lunch at Madison Square.. I spent 30 minutes walking between the booths trying to decide what to eat! All that good food!

Then around Washington Square, Greenwich Village area (heading south) it started to rain, and like all good New Yorker's I had my umbrella at hand, but I decided to dive into a pub to get out of the torrential downpour, I was in the packed little place called The Malt House and had a pint. As the rain let up a bit, still using my umbrella, I headed through SoHo stopped in to get a coffee to offset that pint, and on my way to ground zero. Because of the rain and a water line break, the memorial was being worked on and was going to reopen in an hour... and there was an Irish Pub just across the road with happy hour. I stopped in and had a cheap pint of beer and talked to several tourist, and that hour flew by. I got into see the Memorial there are two identical waterfall units, with a spotlight in the bottom that shines at night.

 I then went down to Battery park, and over to Wall street... Hopped onto a Subway up to Little Italy and Chinatown (Chinatown was not so much), and decided to have dinner in Little Italy, There I found a place call Paesano's where I had a nice Salmon Pasta and visited with the young couple at the next table who were from all places the (SF) Bay Area! After dinner you have to have a Gelato, and there just so happens to be a stand just around the corner, Hazel nut mmm...

And then at the end of the day I found a vendor who gave me a good deal on a shirt so that my daugher can expand her wardrobe of places I've been.

Then back to the substation and back home... I was a little bit tired by the end of the day.