St. Christopher was smiling on me yesterday afternoon.

At 16:14 yesterday, I left my office. I hopped on 95 and it was deserted. I did 80 all the way to 1, where traffic was flowing. I hit every green all the way up to the first on ramp after the split on the turnpike (the split being a nasty bottleneck and instrument of torture).

By 17:29, I was looking at the manhattan skyline. When I went through the toll, my total was $3.10. I handed the guy a $20, he said, �Gotta a dime, sweetheart?� While I was rummaging around my change drawer, he counted out the change and handed it to me before I even produced the dime. I gave him two nickels, he winked at me, and I drove off. I later discovered that he gave me a ten and ten ones. I don�t know if it was a mistake or what, but he charged me ten cents for my toll.

My luck ended there. It took me just as long to get into the city as it did to get across the entire state.

Tony has been trying to get me up there on a Monday night for ages. I never understood the significance of it, but I apparently had to see this friend of his, who, based on his description, is practically a prodigious musician.

It never really sunk in. I figured I�d go because he was so adamant that I see this guy. I winced at what I thought was an outrageous cover, thinking that it would be a little club stuck in a corner somewhere.

After we were seated (I was so close, I was just about in the band), I looked around the room and said, �This place is full of tourists. Why are there so many tourists here?�

Exasperated, he replied, �Amy! This place is world famous!� Etc. etc.

When his friend got on stage, I said, �He looks like he�s the youngest person in here!�

Again, another exasperated explanation.

I finally started to get it.

The music was fantastic. So fantastic that I want to go back and bring more friends.

He introduced me to the friend, who happens to be the sweetest and most adorable young man you�ve ever met (he�s in his mid-20s).

The darling thing asked me which school I attend. Tony was quick to jump in and point out that I�m �waaaaay past school age.� Gee, thanks, Tony. I must have been dressed young, yesterday. The stock boy at the grocery store hit on me earlier in the day.

Because my job needed me back immediately, I was on the turnpike by 7:30 this morning. I didn�t even hit traffic coming back into the city, and I was logged in before I would be on a regular work day.

I opted to work from home because the cats haven�t seen me in awhile and I knew I�d be desperate for a nap later. There�s nothing worse than sleep deprivation and a couple of feral birmans (if you had birman�s, you�d think that was hilarious).

Except for writing this entry, I�ve been pretty productive today. I did nap a little, but it was broken sleep, and I�m still very tired. Karate soon. I may survive, too! Let�s cross our fingers.

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