What a fantastic weekend. I was woken by a bouncing kate on my bed while I was sleeping with my face buried in the pillow. I guess I didn't drink enough water the night prior because I had a slight headache. What turned into an early wake up call turned into lazy spooning and assorted playing and a much needed tandem shower. *insert smirk here*

"Ok lets go!" we shouted as we hoped in the car.
"Speedpass?" "Check!"
"Umbrella?" "Check!"

We hit the highway with empty bellies. I decided to forgo my morning Starfucks ritual with the sole intent of picking up Balthazar as soon as I got into the city. We stopped at Maryland House along the way on the highway and got Roy Rogers..... Mmm, Roy Rogers. Ok, back on the road with you!

Kate drove, I slept, it rained. A lot. "We are still going to have fun regardless of the weather right?"
"Um, duh."

We got through the Holland Tunnel with relative ease and found our normal parking spot. "Come on! Let's go! Wait, you just poked me AGAIN in the head with your dumb umbrella!"
"Hahahaha sorry! I suck at umbrellas!"

It was so dark and rainy and depressing but I was so surprised at how much fun I was having. We played around in Pearl River picking up CHEAP asian pots for future flowery children. Got some lucky cats for the collection and we were on our way. More rain. Lots of laughing. Soaking pant legs, lots of splashing and yelling at tourists. Mmmmmmmmm, Balthazar. So good. Liquid crack, how I missed you.

Now, this one time, for reasons unknown, we collectively walked straight past all of the bootlegged goodness that is Canal st. Keeping east, we rested under an awning for the light to change and then we were off to the deeper realms of chinatown. The parts that no white person ventures. Now I know the OG Chinatown is in Brooklyn but well, we were trying to keep it real without catching the J, M or Z.

Anyways, we ventured down this alley of a street and found all of these random antique/pottery stores and I of course gave some of my hard-earned duckets back to the chinese government. Onwards and upwards, we decided that the dual umbrella route wasn't working so we changed our technique to a single unit which worked out smashingly.

We made it to the base of the Bklyn bridge and saw a Buddhist temple across the street so we walked warily over to check things out. "I'll go in if you go in." "I'm not going in, you go in." "Fine, let's go. If I get shot or kung-fu'd I'm going to be pissed."

We walked in, checked for visual confirmation from the worker there that we were welcome and with her wave, we walked to the large back room to see the massive 2-story Buddha (with lipstick?) in front of us. We sat down and just watched as people prayed in front of us. For a awkwardly garish room, it was quite beautiful and calming.

Back down the street we walked past a VCD store with boots and imports and when Battle Royale II caught my eye, we simply had to go in. I found my region 3 DVD as kate found The Three Extremes so we snatched that up too.

Back to the train that I took everyday while working for the Attik back in the day. Spring to 87th. 1/2 a block to the neon-lit meca that was Papaya King.

"Like a sirloin in a bun®!"

#3 for kate, #5 for me. I waited to see kate's expression as she bit into her chili dog and blowing out hot air in the cold store. She closed her eyes and with a full mouth she spoke, "Yeah, this is the best dog I have ever had."
"Yeah, told you so."

We walked back to the train, and while we were riding I thought to myself how happy I was with her. My last time in NYC for an extended stay left such a sour taste in my mouth that it kept me from visiting this wonderful city for so long. I am so glad that the day happened the way it did and made me fall in love once again.

Even through 14 inches of rain, a blizzard, an entire fire department on broadway, scary chinese creepazoids on the street, thugs on the 6 train and 134 mph winds, I wouldn't have had it any other way.