NYC

I think there's a very high probability that March 17 will be the best day this year. We've just come back from a vacation to South Jersey, where we had great visits with two of my childhood friends and then an all-day party/food extravaganza with my relatives so they could meet Steve, followed by two amazing days in New York City. I've always loved New York, and lived in Brooklyn for 18 months during graduate school. Steve's daughter lives there and we got to meet her boyfriend's parents, who were very great New Yorkers, sort of frustrated artists who have made films (Marjory Steinweiss) and composed music (Leslie Steinweiss) and finally funnelled their creative energy into the family business, Marjory's father's jewelry store (Julius Cohen Jewelers) which works with private clients and creates exquisite pieces. We visited their store, on 63rd and Madison, on Monday, after I had a two-hour lunch with my agent-- also an incredibly good experience with nary an awkward pause-- and we spent a few hours at the MOMA to kill time, not a bad place at all to do that.

The store was very old world, with velvet-lined tables, ancient wood floors, and jeweler equipment that has not really changed (like dentist equipment) for hundreds of years. Much like dentistry-- all the old files and tweezers and clamps and magnifiers you strap on your face, and then here and there a laser machine. Afterwards we crammed into their Honda and headed downtown for dinner at a great Ramen place. A quick trip to the Strand and then home to Catherine and Homer's place in Brooklyn.

But it was Tuesday that was the amazing day. First, Homer got us still-warm bagels for breakfast. Then we walked up to Pratt and looked at the statue garden where Catherine met us. We went to the Steinweiss's apartment a few blocks away, where Marjory had left out her student film from NYU, Open Lines, made in 1991 when she returned to school. It was fantastic. And I'm not just saying that. We were very impressed, by the story and filming and production. It had made the rounds of film festivals at the time, and got her some work editing back in New York. But when editing went to high-definition and digital, she wasn't interested anymore. She liked cutting and splicing film.

After that we headed to Dunham Records, Homer's recording studio, a sort of off-shoot of Daptone Records. They had an old Hammond B-3 organ and a guy was playing amazing music on it-- funk/soul stuff. We admired the drapes Homer made-- he even pounded in the grommets-- and then were off for lunch at La Superior, a taco place directly under the Williamsburg Bridge, that served the most flavorful and unusual tacos I've ever eaten. Then we parted ways with Homer and walked with Catherine over the bridge and into SoHo. Except for the fact that our feet were killing us by this point, it was all bliss. But hey, we were in NY, so we bought some new shoes (though as Steve said, the damage was done). I also got a great nylon bag on the street, which will replace the great bag I currently have that is at the end of its strap life. There's nothing better than buying a quality and unique project on the street! Catherine took off for class, and Steve and I looked at high-end modern furniture he was afraid to sit on. Then we picked up bread and rugelach at Dean & Deluca's and headed back to Brooklyn, to my friend Susan Mastrangelo's apartment.

They live on the 30th floor of a 31-floor high rise in Brooklyn Heights. As in, a panoramic view of Manhattan, from the Statue of Liberty (see right) (without craning your neck) on up to the Chrysler building. (Craning your neck you can see from the Verrazano Bridge to the Upper East Side.) They're almost directly over the Brooklyn Bridge. It was amazing, and I was very happy for her, because she paid her dues for a long time living in tiny studio boxes. Her partner Tom and Steve hit it off tremendously well, the dinner was good, the dessert great, and then we took a car service back to Catherine and Homer's.

So when people ask me in the future what a perfect day would be, this is what I'll say-- I had it, and it was a brisk but sunny Spring day of art and good food with my baby in New York, St. Patrick's Day 2009.