Tighten up lassies, drinking yourself to death, and shootings

On Sunday, we woke up and went to Balthazaar's for Brunch.

Afterward, we headed down to Chinatown, I geeked out looking through a whole bunch of Praying Mantis Kung-fu books and weapons at one of the shops. There is one great shop down in Chinatown called Pearl River that has lots of Lion Dancing costumes, and great Chinese trinkets and antiques.

We went to a few other shops including the art stores Dick Blick and Pearl Art supply. After playing around the area, we headed down to near the Cooper Union. I applied to go to grad school at the Cooper Union at one point, but ended up going to The Vizlab at Texas A&M instead. My favorite figure drawing professor, Bob Schiffhauer, went to Cooper Union, and I always enjoy walking around this area, imagining what it was like for him as an art student in the area during the peak of the Beat Generation.

Right around the corner from Cooper Union is McSorely's tavern, a great place, and frequent hang out for Powerhouser Jason Williams when he spent 6 months working from Manhattan. Jason told some great stories about the bar, so we stopped in a for a few afternoon ales. The place did not disappoint.

The staff at McSorely's, which has been around since the 1800s, speak with a thick brogue. When you walk into the bar, you get asked bruskly,"Light or Dark," which when answered prompts two beers being plunked down in front of you. Always two beers at a time, at McSorely's, which only takes cash. But since the two beers are only about $4, (cheap even by Texan standards), it is hard to complain. McSorely's has only been renovated twice since the 1850s. Once when plumbing was added, and the other time when they finally started allowing women to frequent the establishment to add a woman's toilet. There are still dusty photos and newspaper clippings all over the walls, some old enough to elect "New York's own Teddy Roosevelt for Vice President"

They take pride in being a "community seating establishment." Two young attractive New York ladied came in and took up one of the few tables, setting some shopping bags in a couple of the chairs. When someone new came in the barkeep barged over to the shocked ladies and declared "Tighten up, lassies, this is a community seating establishment."

Mandy and I staggered to a few shops including a Tokyo Toy store that had all manner of vinyl toys, and Chelsea Market, home of the Food Network. We went to the Staten Island Ferry and Battery Park to check out the statue of Liberty, but had missed the last ferry over to Ellis Island. So we walked from the Ferry down to the formerly mafia haven, Fulton Fish Market. We walked around the market awhile, and admired how even though the FBI tried to break the back of the mob, it was the GAP, Abercrombie and Fitch, and other such strip mall shops that finally did them in. Capitalism killed the mob in this area.

In the Capitalism spirit we walked through the financial district. By this time we had probably put in about at least 10 miles walking so far this day. I was wearing crappy shoes so it was beginning to wear on me a bit. We walked to the World Trade Center area. I have been a couple times since 9/11, but Mandy has not. It really is pretty staggering and numbing what amounts to a massive hole in the middle of the city. Even thought they have built a lot of the understructure back up in the past 6 years, it just feels like a void.

Afterward, we made our way down to Greenwich Village to eat at the Spotted Pig. They were full, so they took my cel # and we walked around the corner to the White Horse Tavern. In memory of Dylan Thomas, I had a whiskey. About 55 years ago, at this self-same establishment, Mr. Thomas, (depending upon which version of the story you believe), exclaimed "18 whiskeys, I think that is a new record." He then exited the White Horse and collapsed outside...falling into a coma. I decided not to try to best the welshman's record, and we sat back and relaxed until the Spotted Pig called.

On our way into the Spotted Pig, we met Vera Wang coming out. The place was definately "hip." But the food, in your blogger's, humble opinion was crap.

We caught a subway to get back to the apartment , and decided to switch trains around Madison Square Gardens. As we got out of the train we knew something was wrong. You could sort of feel it in the air. There were mobs of younger high school age kid running around and shouting at one another. We quickly got on a train, and it did not leave for 3-4 mins. Finally a voice came over the intercom letting us know the train would not be leaving and asking for everyone to exit. This was strange, but we are not terribly familiar with things, so we quickly exited the station avoiding some fights between high school students, and walked the underground all the way to Time Square. When we exited into Times Square we were literally between NYPD officers, in riot gear, and a bunch of disgruntled kids. We tried to turn down a side street, but one of NY's finest told us that street had been closed. Apparently, gunfire had erupted. We quickly made our way through the confused crowds, on our bruised feet, from Time Square all the way to 68th and Columbus...I don't know how far that is in miles, but it took forever. See and read more about it here: STORY

When we finally made it back, and then watched people we just saw on the local news getting arrested. We soaked our sore feet, and went to sleep with ease.