I was late that morning and had to get a ride to the bus stop. I had promised to bring these little books I made to commemorate the day and left them until the last minute to print out. I only had to make 10 and " BEST" printing option was ruled out. It was a lovely day, sunny and cool. I wore black and would end up sweating, having to buy another shirt later in the day.

I made the last possible bus that I could get without being hideously late ( I imagined them leaving and me being in the City, not meeting them and feeling like a shtup ) and arrived a bit after 12. A cab was definitely the deal. I usually don't take cabs but I had the cash and time was important here.

A sketch from the cab ride is located below; it was a regular ride, nothing special.

I arrived at Ave A and walked up to Alt.Coffee, seeing a girl shooting up in a doorway within minutes of getting out of the cab. Missing Alt.Coffee walking down to 145, I felt silly, but when they say understated - they mean it. I walked in and recognized Ranjit from the photos that Lenara had posted prior @ the USA98 page. I walked up and introduced myself and found that the guy sitting with Ranjit was Jesse Reklaw. Immediately we traded off things ( I giving them little books, Jesse tossing me a CONCAVE UP and Ranjit with these little postcards ) and moved to a table.

Elaine was the next to come in, walking over telling how she had heard that Lenara and Ivana might be a bit late for some reason, having to come from uptown/Harlem. If you have not seen the photos, she was wearing a cute floral shirt and these wonderful turquoise shoes - slightly platformy. I got coffee and we all talked while waiting for the Guests.

Lenara and Ivana arrived and we all crowded around that table in the middle of the front area to the left of the door. A guy behind me looking rather " bohemian ", the guy who gave me a light for my cigarette, was sketching something. The girl from the record store, looking oh so LES, came in piercings, attitude and all.

Lenara had brought some eggs: KINDER OVO. These were very cool. Crappy chocolate egg shell with a toy in the hollow middle. Ranjit got a weird looking flesh colored Space Shuttle that looked oddly phallic, Jesse got a Caveman with some kind of unicycle motoractivity and I got a tiger ( also included in the collage below ). Having constructed our toys we decided to go out to lunch.

Before I had met up with everyone I had suggested Indian food and on the way in, during my bus ride, mused " Wouldn't it be funny if I ate at the same place that I ate at with my friend Craig, whom I had visited the other day. We walked down to 6th St ( where all the Indian restaurants are - plus one Guatamalan place - and walked down.... WE ATE AT THE JOINT I mentioned!!! WEIRD!!! And it was not like I was like - you know - trying to make my little thing come true we just all ...walked ...there!

NO MILK PRODUCTS FOR JESSE: Now I know why he calls his web space what he does!

After the Indian food experience, where we sat by the oddest tapestry: a man beside a group of horses in lake this scene in front of a steamship hovering in the distant mountains... we went to Elaine's to hang out for a bit. This was interesting. Lenara made this drink which I will not try to spell. It was quite tart. At the restaurant she explained things about it. " The Little Girl from the Country " I think it is called in Brasil. The Sophistos in Brazil drink this drink with Vodka - perhaps those uniform people that Lenara told about, the ones that wear all brown and tan outfits and like ritzy watches. We all drank a bit, using many limes, and played around with the tarot; we looked at the pictures we took with Lenara's GIGANTIC digicam - the thing was like a techno-brick. We listened to Brasilian music from the north - not that Samba stuff which the girls seemed to hold a disdain for the commonality of. Soon Jesse had to go eat dinner with - what was it - his sister?? And Ranjit had to go home to bed. During our walk before, we had gotten tickets to a party and agreed to meet up there later, over in the good old meat-packing district.

Lenara, Ivana and I agreed to watch the Yankee game. We went uptown to meet up with her friends Damon and Cibele at the Media3(?) office. I think that is what the place was called. We went up there and as it was were destined to come right back downtown, to watch the Yankee game at Taro's on Thompson St. A sidenote: I ran into my friend Jeff Wong waiting for Max Roach's autograph, he was standing out side the Blue Note and I briefly introduced our little party to him. I love running into people I know - especially good friends - while in NY. A trip just ain't a way-cool trip it seems without one of these little incidents.

We sat in the apartment and I watched the game drinking some Guinness and meeting a group that were very close with each other. Taro's friends. Damon, Cibele, Lenara and Ivana went out for some Mexican food. The Yankees won.

Lenara and Ivana lay for a while in Taro's bed and I was soon in there to petition that we go to the party. I knew that I had to be on the last bus, and being that it was closing on 11, I asked that we go off to our 20 dollar party. We did. Took a cab.
The mexican food was sitting hard in Ivana's stomach - so I knew it had to be cab.

After being frisked we went into this noisy rave-esque party. We met up with Elaine and her friend...what was his name...damn! He took pictures at the house with his Pentax! Showed us the difference between his old short-haired photo and his current long-haired one. Oh well - sorry man. Anyway - We walked around for a while - Elaine anticipating this Brasilian artist's playing. I thought briefly that I would hang out all night but deep down I knkew I was not into the early bus trip that I would have to make if I elected to hang out all night, coming home all haggard at 6AM/Sunrise. So Elaine and the gals shooed my off and I caught the last bus - ONLY BECAUSE IT WAS LATE!!!! Wow.

OK I gotta get to work on some stuff I hope this litle account is cool for you. Enjoy the pic.