Keepin' Warm

New York is cold.

To beat the cold back in the Land o'Utes, I tend to have coffee in my down filled bed, while watching TCM. Here, I sleep on a mattress in the middle of the kitchen, next to the radiator, under a rainbow sleeping bag, in my thermal jammies, cursing under my breath that I am sure I can see some mornings.

Once the children are off, I am free to do what is most important in my life... finding coffee.

The local Greek Cafe is a few blocks away, and I can make the walk in around 90 seconds it seems... I exchange thermals for jeans, throw on my long black wool coat, a really ugly red and black checked hat and my long scarf... shoes and I'm briskly moving towards Nick's place, where they have the cup ready for me at 8.17AM.

I don't even brush my teeth... I mean, I'm behind a scarf, right? I may chat with Bruno (I met him yesterday, he lives around the corner next to the 18 member Muslim family on the corner) or Barbara (the Wiccan) who is pretending to teach her dog obedience.

Mostly, he lunges at the end of his harness, wagging his tail and trying to slobber on you. We talk about this and that, and they are keeping an eye out for a flat for me... it's how it's done, remember... someone you know.

Back here, I pour a bowl of nectar of the gods (aka Capt'n Crunch) and have my coffee while catching up on my reading... shower, teeth (FINALLY!) and the odds and ends of a small flat.

I listen to the iPod quite a bit... it helps to keep moving to stay warm. You see, the landlord is nice, but, he doesn't show us, as Aretha is telling me, any heating.....

R-E-S-P-E-C-T!!