I was up very early this morning. I got started around five thirty. Was up and ready and even did some work before leaving the house. Had to get Dominica up and get Liesl and Oreo packed up and into the SUV by a quarter to seven this morning. Now that is a challenge.
We made it to the train station just minutes before the train came down to Peekskill Station to whisk us early commuters off to Grand Central Terminal for our days in the city. It was perfect timing although Dominica was driving like a mad woman to get me there. We had thought that I had missed the train because the platform was empty, but, as they often do in Peekskill, the train had switched tracks and there was no sign notifying us of such. So I bought my ticket and went over to the track with all the people hoping that that was what had happened and, sure enough, the train was there in just a few minutes.
I would have really enjoyed the train ride into the city had it not been for my tailbone issue. I need to be able to sit forward to keep pressure off of it but the train seats are designed for you to be leaning back at all times. It was quite uncomfortable for me. I was aching by the time that we reached the city.
I got to the GCT by eight. Way earlier than necessary but I was not familiar with the area of the city where I was headed so I figured better safe than sorry. I hopped on the 6 Local down to 28th street and it was about a ten minute walk from there to the Antique Cafe at the corner of 26th and 6th. It was a gorgeous morning. Exactly the kind of morning that I would want to be my morning in Manhattan. Slightly cool with a nice, slow drizzle. Just cool enough that you don’t get too warm walking around.
It was eight thirty when I got to the Antique Cafe. I noticed Jay was already there so I just grabbed a coffee and a croissant and took a table outside in the drizzle to relax. It is not very often that I have enough downtime to just sit at a cafe and enjoy the weather and some coffee so I was thrilled.
I relaxed for about forty-five minutes. I tried to set up my laptop but discovered that I had accidentally run the battery down during the night while I thought that it was charging. I am not used to the wall plug in the living room being connected to the light switch. So the computer had shut itself off during the night when the battery had run down. So I brought my laptop backpack and my heavy laptop and power supply into the city with me for no reason. Now that is a pain. But it kept me from working for a little while so I just used my two BlackBerrys and did what I could from them.
Jay was done with his other meeting and came outside to meet with me around a quarter after nine. In about ten minutes we had other people join us. We ended up being four for coffee.
It was a good meeting this morning and very productive, I think. I left the Antique Cafe around eleven thirty and went down to the office on Greenwich in West Tribeca. I ran into some friends outside and chatted for a bit. Then Shreyash came out and we went down Greenwich to near World Trade to get some curry. I got the salmon curry that I love so much. Oh boy was that good. Somehow I have to get Dominica down here to try this curry out. She would love it.
After lunch it was back to the office but I did not end up even making it in the door. Dan wanted to meet for coffee so I just waited outside in the nice weather. I had been wanting to have gotten my badge working again today as it has been deactivated for quite some time but that did not work out either. So I just skipped dealing with going inside.
Dan and I went across the street for coffee. I ended up just having tea and he grabbed a quick lunch.
Back to the office where we ran into John. So John and I went out for coffee and chatted for a while. From there it was back on foot up to the subway and up to Grand Central Terminal to catch the four o’clock northbound back up to Peekskill. I was originally going to stay in the city for several more hours but a server that I have been waiting for months to build and that is desperately needed arrived this afternoon and I would never be able to build it working in the city. So back home it is to work all evening. I got to the train station with twenty minutes or so to kill so I picked up a blood orange sorbet down in the food court. That was awesome!
The train ride was fine and then Dominica, Liesl and Oreo picked me up at Peekskill Station just after five. I got right to work and worked for most of the evening. I knocked off around nine and went to bed shortly thereafter. Server is built and ready for me to do the final touchups tomorrow morning.
Today was a great day. Very relaxing and a complete change of pace. The weather was perfect for a trip into the city and it turned out that just about no work piled up for me while I was out of the office so I was able to keep meeting with people all day without having to find some way to get to a desk and log in.