Wall St

You really know you live in an odd place when you cant walk down the street in front of your building to get to the subway, but have to go the long way round.
This morning, Broad and Wall were completely overrun with journalists and camera crews.

And lots of people looking very, very tired.

Homesick

So so so so so many lovely things have happened over the last few weeks, but I have been to busy enjoying them to write about them.

And now that they are over, thinking about them is making me too sad to write about them.

Gym

I must be old. I know this because I have had to join a gym.

No longer am I young enough to eat whatever I want and not put on weight.
And, more importantly, no longer am I young enough to go to the gym at 8pm when I get home from work and not get over tired and cranky.

So from now on I shall go to the gym in my lunch break.
Or at least, that’s the plan.

Rebel

Oh its so good to know I haven't lost my rebellious streak.

Over here, there is a "rule" that no one wears white after Labor Day.
Summer is over, and its back to black for all trendy Manhattanites.

Well, Labor Day was Monday, and this morning I got out my long, white skirt (which I haven't been able to wear yet this summer because its been too hot) and put it on, with all the swagger of a teenager getting their first tattoo.

Yes, I am a bad-ass mofo.

Beach

Another weekend, more sun!
We went out to Long Island again to see Andy and Vicky and go to the beach.
It was lovely.

People over here declare summer over on August 31st and seem to already be winding down to it, but it was so warm and sunny all day that in London it would have been the best day of the summer.
I am having none of this and shall resolutely be wearing white until at least October.

Vicky and I lay in the sun while the boys fished and then we had a lovely BBQ.
The beach is so nice and clean and quiet and we even swam because the water wasn’t too cold.
It really felt like we had been on a little mini holiday, and coming back into the city the next day was rather sad.

No place like it

Just in case I had forgotten the things that are great about being here, I got a reminder of four of them in my first week back!

1st – we spent last Sunday by the pool, enjoying some very warm late summer sun and catching some freckles.

2nd – we hailed a cab to go to brunch and got a whole lot more than we bargained for.
The guy had little spot lights stuck on the ceiling of the cab and a microphone and speakers, all of which he switched on as soon as we were settled in. He then proceeded to serenade me with Italian love songs for the whole journey.
It was so surreal.
The only thing that spoilt it was that he asked for money for the singing, which I thought was all wrong, as we would have given him some anyway when we paid, but instead it felt compulsory.

3rd – I saw a guy roller skating down Broadway in a shiny blue jump suit with long silver streamers flowing behind him in the wind. And no one batted an eyelid.

4th – realizing Simon must have really missed me, because he bought me a gift voucher for a massage. It was pretty brutal, the lady even had to climb onto the couch to sufficiently pummel me, but it was also wonderful.

God Bless

Oh America, America, the land of opportunity.

In one man's case the opportunity to wear:

Mauve checked shirt - fair enough I guess
Mauve cashmere jumper - thin and fitted, like a girl's
Pink shorts - falling just above the knee with a lovely hem, complete with belt and buttoned back pocket for keeping his wallet in
Brown, shiny, tassled loafers - a very slim cut on his his fairly small feet

The best part was he had pretty slender calves so with the pink and the shine of the shoe he looked like a very hairy drag queen!

And this was on the train on Tuesday, on the way home from work...