Endings: NYC, May 2009 - April 2010

My last night.  I just sat down as my cleaning and packing are done.  I have more stuff than I thought.  I suppose that's always the way.  In spite of that, I was able to take today at a fairly leisurely pace.

I watched some morning t.v. - Today show, Regis and Kelly, a little bit of Rachel Ray - and got busy cleaning.  I had to turn in my cable box today but decided to wait until after 1pm, which is when Who Wants to be a Millionaire? (or, simply Millionaire, as they seem to call it now).  At 1pm, I took my last shower here.  (Not packing a wet shower curtain and towel tomorrow.)  I then hoofed it down to 23rd St between Park and Madison.

The cable box return was completed with ease.  Only had to wait a few minutes.  After that I had a fake smoothie.  (Fruit juice and not actual fruit.)  Had I known that's how Tossed made smoothies (buyer beware - it's at 23rd & Park) I would have skipped it.  Not what I had in mind.  I sipped my fake smoothie and walked over to Madison Square Park one more time.  The line at the Shake Shack was immense.  People were eating burgers from there; they smelled great.

Came back to the apartment to do more work.  Around 5:45pm I left again and went to 31st and Lex to have dinner at Trattoria Bellvedere.  I've wanted to try this charming neighborhood restaurant for awhile so it was appropriate to have it as my "last supper" tonight.  I had a nice glass of Valpolicella with my filet mignon, mashed potatoes, and vegetables.  It was a good, reasonably priced meal. 

I walked to 29th and Broadway for my crack in a cup - Stumptown coffee.  I sipped that on a very leisurely stroll back to my apartment.  I snapped some pictures on my way back but who knows where my device is to download pictures to my laptop?  That thing is packed away somewhere so the pictures will have to be added later.

I said goodbye to Phillip the doorman.  He's sweet.  He got extremely shy and almost embarrassed.  I think he likes me like a man likes a woman, which is why, as much as I like him, I've always felt a tad awkward around him.  He's a good man, though, and has never done or said anything inappropriate.

I got the two carts from downstairs and loaded them up with boxes.  I'm all set for when the guys get here tomorrow at 9am.  I hope they find a place to park easily and I hope traffic isn't bad getting out of the city.  (I'm riding with them.)  Those are my anxious thoughts right now but I'll let them go shortly as I can't control either concern.

Tonight's bed is the futon cushion on the floor.  I stripped the bed to pack up the big comforter and I dismantled the futon.  I crushed my finger in the dismantling process.  Stupidly, I released the front of one side and, as I was working on releasing the front of the other side, I held up the bottom rail with my fingers underneath.  When the side screw came out the whole weight of the frame that comprises the bed crushed my finger between the hardwood floor and the frame as the frame fell a foot.  I was literally writhing on the floor in pain.  The top knuckle of my middle finger turned blue instantly and began to swell.  I put ice on it for about 10 seconds and thought, "Forget it, I'm busy."  (This was all before dinner.)  Tonight, my finger is very stiff and tender but I expect to survive.

I briefly contemplated going for one last walk up to Times Square to look at the theater marquees but I decided against it.  I'm going to do what I haven't done much recently - read a book.  I recently got Olive Kitteridge, whose author won the Pulitzer for it.  I'll read a bit and then go to sleep as I feel physically and a little emotionally drained.