From Apple Country to the Big Apple

New York City- What a whirl wind! I arrived last Sunday exhausted from schlepping around my over weight suit case, laptop and carry on. I was mortified to realize I hadn't tipped my extremely friendly taxi driver but grateful to arrive at the hotel where my mother and aunts, Shauna and Sandra, were waiting for me. We spent three days walking, going to museums, sight seeing and just eating, eating, eating. I didn't know it was possible to gain weight in only three days, but I guess it is! French food, Italian food, Thai food, (good) American food... It was superb! It was lovely to see family members I'd never met before and to have an inside connection. My mother's cousin, Vincent, who is an art dealer, gave us passes to MOMA and the MET (where we had lunch in the trustee's diningroom). We got to see more art than we could handle. Vincent also showed us around his impressive gallery where many of the paintings were abstracts- something I just don't "get"; I guess one doesn't need to be great, just original (that's assuming you think something that looks like a kindergartner did it is "original"). Later, he and his wife, Gabrielle, took us to a jazz club which was a real treat- that I could "get". I also met my grandmother's cousin,Carol (not sure what that makes her to me) who lives near Central Park and has a fabulous view; then of course we all went out for an other grand meal. And time certainly does fly when you're having fun! Everyone else headed back to their respective coasts early this morning and I entered the next leg of my trip. I'm now at my friend Jenn's (the one I went to Nicaragua with) apartment in Washington Heights. In about a half hour we're going to head to Times Square to try to get cheap tickets to a show tonight- well better go.

P.S. still no word on the visa