Two Cities

Here's a little thought. Decided to walk to Penn Station while eating Red Mango and that set me to thinking about my three week stint in Palo Alto. And that got me to thinking about the differences between the two. Aside from the fact that they're on opposite coasts, there were two overwhelming (in my little brain) differences.

First and foremost, the noise. In Palo Alto, even the cars seem quiet. No car horns blaring, no construction noise, no loud people crowding the streets. Everything was sedate, the pace slow.

The second was the smell. Oh, the incredible smells that one encounters in New York. And not all are pleasant. Some smells are not meant to be smelled. It makes me worry how they originated.

Ah, and there was one other aspect. Since I was staying at the Garden Court Hotel (lovely spot), I was able to walk up and down University Avenue at my leisure. And by walk I mean NY pace leisure. The locals were visibly baffled at the crazy creature racing down their serene streets. NYers certainly aren't known for leading slow paced lives. But I digress. As I "strolled" in Palo Alto, I would glance and admire the cute little shops - new age shop, book shop, pretty dress shops - and restaurants. As I "strolled" along 8th Avenue, NYC, I noticed the grimy storefronts - GNC, Duane Reade, XXX peep shows... WHAT????

But you know, for the seediness one may encounter on the streets of Manhattan, all the weirdos shadowing your footsteps, all the noise, all the indifference you might notice on a NYer's face, I still wouldn't trade it for all the pretty cities in all the world.

NY has it's own vibe, it's own beat, that can enthrall you and make you it's own.

The blog that shoulda been first!

First proper blog. First thoughts. What to write? What to say? What to think?

How about an experience? Allow me to chat about my first Sheep & Wool Festival and my first proper opportunity to use my new digital camera. The day was made just for me and the drive was more than I could have hoped for.

Hooking up the ipod and singing (badly) at the top of my lungs to pop music that bridged decades, the drive left me refreshed. I arrived just before 11:00 a.m. to the Tolland Agricultural Center. That turned out to be a collection of barns which housed all sorts of, well, wools, animals, and the implements to create all these luscious yarns.

I kept feeling a funny smile ghost across my face because I had never seen so much wool, raw, spun. And the colors! Ooo! The colors!

The best part was I had no one to answer to. I wandered around and around, petting yarn here and there, staring at all the marvelous colors like they were classic paintings in a fine arts museum. And without having to worry if someone else was getting bored. No one to worry about except myself.

And the excitement of documenting all of this with my nifty new digital camera. Chirp! Gotta picture! Chirp again! Another picture! Chirrrr........ What happened???? Ugh! I was disgusted with myself really. I should have known better that the memory card that came with the camera would be a bare minimum one. I had to be very selective with my picture taking now.

After taking yet another walkthrough of all the barns, I settled on some undyed yarns - 3 skeins of alpaca and 2 hanks of what the man described as banana and silk.  Happy, content and with a bit of wistfullness, I headed back to my car to drive back home.  Sigh.........

  

All in all, a very good day, with a side of selfishness, topped off with a sunny quiet drive home.  How much better can life be?