New York history and people-lore appeals so much to me, mostly because my dad only tells two stories (but, as I found out, can have some stories pulled out of him with coaxing) and Charles is nothing but stories. Actually, that's not even true--he's the one person who is MOST full of vim and vigor that I've met with in a long time.

The visit was extremely fun. Stories, diners, buttered rolls (my GOD why are there no rolls south of New Jersey??), sitting, viewings of skylines, clear days, li'l pigeons, swamps. It made me think even more that I only want to hang around with straight-talking old people. Well, kind of. Also, every time I go up, I am introduced to another second cousin. And I like how my father/great-uncle/all-paternal-relatives rattle off their childhood/bygone NYC street addresses like they were one word. "fivefortythreewesttwoeleventhstreet." "thirtyonefifteensedgwickave." It sounds so much cooler, with an accent.

At times I realized I sounded kind of southern, which surprised me (pleased a little, but still surprised).

And I got a Frank Zappa penny from a rest stop penny press. What more do you need?