Winter in Manhattan Odyssey: Final Weekend

            "Friendship is always a sweet responsibility, never an opportunity."
                                                                   Khahil Gibran

                      
                                   Well, it was hard to believe but my Winter in Manhattan Odyssey was at it's end!  And, I am absolutely thrilled that I gave myself this gift especially as it was such a wicked winter.  I was planning on flying down to NYC Friday after work, but thankfully I am able to watch the manifest numbers and saw  that my chances on getting on the flight stand-by were slim to none.  So, back to my good old Megabus.  Managed to jump on an earlier bus than planned and got to “my apartment” earlier than I would have had I flown.

Rosa Mexicano, photo courtesy of their website

                Decided to treat myself to a nice dinner, owed it to myself after another long week at work.  Went over to Rosa Mexicano on the corner again as I had a craving for Mexican.  Got a lovely small carafe of white sangria, and a wonderful tasty dinner with the fish of the day.  Not even sure what kind of fish, but a meaty white filet cooked in an aromatic tomato based sauce.  Got home just ahead of Roomies and chatted for a bit.

The Garage Flea Market, photo courtesy of their wbsite

                                K and I had planned on getting a bite to eat Saturday before she went to work.  Lazy morning, and made plans to head to K’s apartment in late afternoon.  So, off I went to do some shopping, first in the neighborhood to pick up a few things I had bought at a small gift shop the week before (I try to frequent smaller local shops when I can as they need our money more than anybody right now..sometimes that’s hard though cause they’re usually more expensive..), TJ’s, and Bed Bath and Beyond.  Then I headed over to the Garage Flea Market in Chelsea (an annex of the Hell's Kitchen Flea Market on W 25th St. between 6 & 7 Avesnues) where I found a treasure for a friend.                                                                 

Over to K’s to give her the Bed Bath and Beyond finds for her bed, then off to dinner at Artisinal again.  It was delicious, but the service was frustratingly slow that night.  (Been having bad experiences with poor service at restaurants lately, in New York and at home, and I really am not that fussy.)



Cheese fondue @ Artisinal, photo courtesy of their website



        K went off to work and I headed to the UES to see “The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Abridged” that Roomie was stage managing.  It was thoroughly zany and entertaining.  Home we went for my last night in “my” Manhattan apartment.  I left Roomie and Daughter to chill together and retreated to my room. 

Flea Market Cafe

                K and I met at the Flea Market Café for brunch and a lovely young Lady from K restaurant joined us. I am glad that my Girls know I am pretty opened minded and will accept them as they are and also accept any Person they want to bring into our lives.  It saddens me when I meet so many young people whose Families wouldn’t accept their lifestyle, or their sexuality, or whatever or whomever they want to be.  As I explained to the Girls in the past year, I will love them, respect them, and support them no matter what, short of becoming a mass murderer.  At that I draw the line.

                       K and I then treated ourselves to mani-pedi’s (one of the few things to be had in NYC relatively cheaply!)  K then headed up to New Haven, and I went home to finish packing up my winter apartment.  Roomie and I visited, and I gave her a true Boston gift, a cobalt blue Cod Pitcher from Shreve Crump and Low as a keepsake and huge thank you for opening up her home, and heart, to me.  I truly came away from my Odyssey with so much more than I had planned, or anticipated! I am blessed!

                        I saw, explored, and ate at so many of the places I had wanted to.  There are still so many more that I want, need, to see.  I will.  And, now I even have a small, but wonderful network of my own in Manhattan!  My Odyssey did not cure my dream of living in Manhattan.  I would in a heartbeat.  But, I know for a certainty that it is Manhattan I want to live in, and for that much money is needed to do it comfortably.  So, for now this will suffice.  Again, I am blessed.