Always, Forward

May the road rise up to meet you.
May the wind be always at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face;
the rains fall soft upon your fields and until we meet again,
may God hold you in the palm of His hand.
—traditional Gaelic

I'm writing now sitting in the back garden of the Fort Greene apartment. It's truly lovely. I've taken to eating back here where it's sunny and calm rather that in front of the TV as per my usual habit. The weather in New York has been remarkably good -- veritably L.A. weather. The guy who sells me smoothies around the corner agreed.

He is also a big bike advocate and gave me a free NYC bike route map. Under his recommendations, yesterday, I rode Marc's bike from Brooklyn, over the Brooklyn Bridge, up the Hudson Riverwalk, to Columbia Circle and Central Park. Accompanying me was my friend, Paula Goodwin, who I know from film school. It was great to reconnect with her and she did remarkably well pounding out the 20 miles on her 1970's era single-speed, purple Schwin. She also helped an adorable and distraught lost child find his mother while in Central Park. Oh, that Paula! Full pictures here.

The night previous, Friday, my "neighbor" Debbie -- a friend of Jessica Berkeley's who lives just around the corner -- dragged me out to the Celebrate Brooklyn free concert in Prospect Park. I've been here less than a week and I've been in Prospect Park almost every day. It's just that good... The show we saw was also excellent; who doesn't like a little Latin groove and party music from Los Amigos Invisibles. All this and more for a $3 "donation."

I woke up this morning, late, and ran about 10K, back through Prospect Park of course, and also circumnavigating Fort Greene Park, the slopy, undulating park directly across the street from this apartment. I understand that this afternoon there is a Bastille Day street fair, somewhere, sometime, and I'm investigating that now.

Obviously, I'm not bored and on the contrary, very well occupied. It's hard to feel lonely when you stay that way and I hope to remain so until somehow it catches up with me. For now I remain fleet of feet and riding the rising road. Stay frosty, my friend.