Back from NYC

Highlights of a truly jam-packed long weekend:

- Taking pictures of guys selling bootlegged porn DVDs in the Village (Adam: "I don't think they appreciated that.")
- Getting Gray's Papaya before the class performance on Sunday -- a Recession Special is two dawgs, one papaya drink, and costs $3.50 -- maybe a dollar more than the first time I had it in '94.
- Blowing money at Mercer Books.
- Calling Adam at 3 am with the voice I use exclusively for sex and terror: "There-is-a-mouse-in-this-room."
- Checking out the next morning after spying said mouse and staying the rest of the time at Scott's, which was far, far nicer.
- Performing onstage at The Tank and eating cupcakes graciously provided by Jean-Michele Gregory, Mike Daisey's wife, who is a director and a damn fine baker. It was very cool of her to show up with support and confectionery for all.
- Going to Dunkin' Donuts with Scott. Why don't we have Dunkin' Donuts here? Why?
- Getting reacquainted with the East Village, starting with the Yaffa Cafe (amazing chai!) and ending with a walk that took me up Manhattan to Penn Station, with a stop along the way to book Bruce Springsteen tickets. That was to be Adam's job ... but the FDA showed up for an inspection. The nerve of them -- didn't they know?

Then there was the workshop. Awesome, awesome time. I met 15 very cool people and learned from someone whose work I admire a great deal. If you told me before I headed out to NYC that I would develop and perform a new short piece, especially discussing what I discussed onstage, I would've laughed. But that's exactly what happened. Just awesome.