Stephanie heads back to Texas tomorrow, but she’s with a friend in Brooklyn tonight, so her visit with me is essentially over. Her visit (the sixth in as many years) actually turned into a five-borough subway/taxi/ferry tour.

Friday we hit Manhattan, the Bronx (zoo) and Queens (Water Taxi Beach). Saturday we kept it local and hung out in Manhattan. After a basic diner brunch (why is toast with grape jelly so good?) we headed downtown. Stepping outside was pretty fun – it was probably in the late 80s by the time we made it into the world. We headed downtown so that Stephanie could meet up with a friend to see the New Museum; I passed the time reading at Starbucks, mostly because of the air conditioning. (Note – check out “Equator.” It’s a great book). We wandered around in lower Manhattan a bit, then got super-yummy Mexican food before heading over to Moonwork.

Moonwork is a show that’s put on every 3-4 weeks from September through June. For $20, you get six acts (usually stand-up comics, sometimes monologues, sometimes funny singers, sometimes serious singers) and all the beer you can drink until it runs out. This line-up included Christian Finnegan, who I enjoy on ‘Best Week Ever,” because I watch too much TV. All of the performers were great, but a special treat was Leah Siegel. Wow. She has an amazing voice that reminds me a bit of the 1930s. And her songs are just lovely and evocative.

Sunday was another multi-borough day: Manhattan, Brooklyn and . . . wait for it . . . Staten Island. We headed to my new apartment so Stephanie could see the place and I could drop off my dishes. We met up with Justin for brunch, and then decided to take the ferry to Staten Island. Michelle and I had been talking about doing this for awhile, and planned to take the ferry, and then run around and hop back on. But Stephanie wanted to wander, so we did.  

And it was totally worth it. We may have melted in the heat, but man, the Staten Island Museum made up for it. One and a half floors of pure awesome, all for the low price of $2 ($1 with a student ID card). I won’t spoil it for you, but there is a ‘florescent rock room’ AND a flying squirrel in a jar. After a rinse off and a run through the thunderstorms that have been visiting as of late, we had dinner with a couple of friends at Brick Lane, my new favorite Indian place in NYC. Check it out.  

Tonight Justin helped me move my breakable and sentimental things – you know, framed pictures, shot glass collection, liquor – to the new place. The movers come Saturday, and it should only be in the low 80s, so that’s good.

I have to run and take my third shower of the day. Thank the gods for air conditioning.