New York

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A warm rainy day is all the company I require. It's an old friend, a warm blanket. "Reminds me of Ohio," I am fond of saying. So, I'll take a rainy day as a good omen to start my little adventure to New York city.

The man at the Amtrak counter informed us - we, the passengers - that the train would be late to Saratoga "because of customs and immigration at the border." Of corse, I thought. I knew the trains ran late but couldn't imagine why. In fact, the train comes from Canada, snaking through the swampy Adirondacks - hills, mountains inundated with marsh fern and mosquitos; woods that whisper old words; ash, beech, oak, and gnarly sugar maples.

Where I come from, cotton woods are king. Where I live, oaks are regal and massive. Where I am, sugar maples are healthy and refined, old and quite impressive.

Today, it's the train to the city. I feel like I'm sneaking away from work at three in the afternoon, when in fact I have earned a bit of repose after two weeks of ten hour days. Plus, I've been fielding calls from prospective employers, including Cisco. I am dedicated and working hard, and I feel content.

There hasn't been enough time for music. I catch practice while listening to the radio, tapping along the off-beats and finding my rhythmic weaknesses. And, I have my Marine Band harmonica. It is diatonic, though rough, having an incomplete octave at the bottom, and more than one of its wooden reeds completely inoperable. I am dreaming of a new, ten hole, chromatic Honher - dreaming of it's glorious flat seventh and a raised fourth. My mouth waters for modulations and secondary dominants.

Well, I may have time for a tune in the city. Tonight, I'm thinking about dinner. A gnawing hunger will have worn me away by nine whenI pull into Penn Station. Susan and her sister will meet me. I'm on the train now finally and off on my adventure. Here's some pictures from the trip...


Korean as soon as I got off the train!


Susan's DP-in-law and I on the East River Ferry.
Susan and I came back to Saratoga and hit the races!

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