Jaded and loving it

Greetings friends! Dirt tells me I have already become a jaded New Yorker. Perhaps I have. Though it seems as if it would take more than three weeks to really convert. There are probably classes I have to take.

I'll be off-line for the weekend (still waiting to get cable Internet), so I'll leave you with these few tidbits:

Things I couldn't live without this week:
My polar fleece hat, pulled down over my ears. It makes the walks nearly bearable.
Motrin. All this walking and three flights of stairs to my fourth-floor walkup have caused a few aches.

Noticed:
Tuesday the Empire State Building was lit up green and blue. We conjectured that it was for Mardi Gras. Then on Wednesday it was green, red and white. I can't think of why that would be. Nevertheless, viva Italia!

This week's spiritual moment:
The walk signal hand at 37th street and Broadway in Astoria has stigmata. I kid you not. This is an interesting contrast to the walk signal hand across from CBGB, which has the thumb, middle and ring fingers blocked out to form the "rock on" sign. Or the sign for the devil, depending on who you talk to. At any rate, Jesus is in Astoria. Literally, in a glass box out on a front lawn. I walk by him every morning. He is flanked by vases of fake flowers. Very tasteful. Jesus is the only one hearty enough to last the winter, though. All the other lawn saints are in warmer climes awaiting spring. When the crocuses make their way out, I expect to see the Virgin Mary and a good many St. Francis feeding the birds. Until then, Jesus remains our lone lawn jockey.

Until Monday, stay warm, stay happy and have a great weekend!