Month: September 2010

Not the most imaginative post title in the world, I know. I’m distracted by a perfect moment. Okay, moment over. Buddy was purring on my lap, the sun was shining in my window but it’s not hot, there’s a cool breeze, just finished watching a very fun movie, Killers, why did it not do better at the box office? Then I wanted more coffee, but I hate moving the cat and do I need to go to the bathroom?, and then Buddy voluntarily hopped off, so not bad.

I’m babbling.

Oh, another perfect moment. Honestly, I think it’s just the weather. I’m so happy not to be hot. I hate being too hot.

Plan for the day: None. It’s my last day of staycation!

From the street fair in front of my block yesterday.

Even though I haven’t really been staycating all that much and working pretty much every day, Monday I go back to work for real.

So what should I do this weekend? It’s wonderfully un-hot out, but I feel like reading an escapist type book. I have a good one sitting right here. Reading and eating cheese. It’s a plan.

Here are some guys working on a sign … somewhere. (I never keep track of where I am apparently.)

I met my friend Marisa for lunch in Chinatown, and also to go back and buy those glasses which are apparently a steal. I was early, she was late, so I walked around and took pictures. It’s a gorgeous, perfect day for it.

First up is the Chrysler Building.

This is the Manhattan Bridge. I can never keep the bridges in the East River straight. I only know which is which because of a mnemonic someone once taught me. BMT. That’s a subway line, and also the initials of the bridges going from downtown to uptown. The one furthest downtown is the Brooklyn Bridge, followed by the Manhattan and last is the Triborough.

I also can’t keep the buildings straight. I think this is the Municipal Building and maybe One Police Plaza is in there along with City Hall? I don’t know. I totally fail as a New Yorker.

Yesterday I finished a book about 9/11 called The Looming Tower. I practically cheered when I was done, it was so wonderfully, beautifully written and researched, a freaking work of art. Never mind that you will gain an incredible understanding of what happened (it starts at 1948 and ends a little after 9/11) but it’s un-put-downable and a great great read.

It was also very close to a book I once thought about writing. When I was working on my book about the NYPD’s cold case squad I saw how different law enforcement agencies work together (not well). It made me curious about how law enforcement agencies around the world work together. I wanted to find a case that involved as many different agencies as possible, both here and around the world, and then dramatically show what happens. But I decided I was not the right person for this book. I don’t fly, for one, so I could never get anywhere in the world quickly if needed.

This is that book, although it’s both broader and deeper than this one aspect. But 9/11 was the best possible case to illustrate what I wanted to illustrate. There was one line that just made me laugh (and inwardly cry). It’s about the CIA not giving information to the FBI. However, it must be said, the FBI is guilty of doing the same to the NYPD.

“Overvaluing information for its own sake, the agency was a black hole, emitting nothing that was not blasted out if by a force greater than gravity …”

God I wish I had written that.

Another shot from my Chinatown glasses expedition yesterday. Poor fishes. Nice colors, though.

I need to get progressive glasses. Someone said I could get them done for less in Chinatown and they were right. I went to a place called Optical 88. If I bring in my own frames the lenses will cost me $145.

Since I plan to bring them my Robert Marc frames, I called up Robert Marc to ask them how much they would charge to put progressive lenses in their own frames. $400. $145 vs $400. Hello??

I am getting very creative about finding everything for less. It feels great though. I’m going to NYU dental school for my dental work next week. It’s not free, but just to show the difference — I’m going to pay $100 for what I was going to pay $843 to my regular dentist, and that’s after the insurance payment!

On the way to Optical 88 I passed by the San Gennaro festival in Little Italy (Little Italy and Chinatown are next to each other, actually they overlap). You can see the Empire State Building in the distance.