The original plan was to spend 28 days in New York City and write about it day by day. The impossible situation at my first place of stay (see last post) made that impossible.  Between the mouse in the kitchen repeatedly darting from under the refrigerator to under the stove, the little dog piddling on my floor, the front door to the apartment being unlocked 24/7, the mother–though friendly enough–making eternal excuses for everything–and finally, an argument in the hall of the apartment outside my room that made me concerned that her son and his friend were using hard drugs, I had to leave. A friend had me stay with her for two days while we tried to find a new place for me to rent, but we failed. I went home feeling a bit defeated.  BUT–another friend came up with some new possible places to live. So, after a week at home, I went back for another two weeks, salvaging much of the month, but also squeezing a month’s worth of activity into two weeks. I accomplished a lot.

(Of course, there was the day I came home to the new place on a Friday afternoon–a very lovely studio apartment with an eviction notice taped to the door that ostensibly gave one three days to vacate. That would have meant Monday. You’ve got to be kidding me!–my first, exasperated reaction. After only one week back in NYC, I might have to leave yet again? It did get resolved. First, there were thirty days for the notice to be questioned or appealed. I would be gone by then. And, ultimately, it turned out that the rent had been paid but had probably crossed in the mail with the notice. Still, it did not help make for a relaxed, un-stressful month.)

Nevertheless, those two weeks were filled with auditing of workshops (both playwrights and actors), attending several staged play readings, visits to a Chagall exhibit at the Jewish Museum, a visit to the Irish Arts Center, and to the Drama Bookshop, as well as time spent with artist and writer friends, and with relatives.  And then, of course, the bomb threats to CNN and Robert De Niro, and the rest occurred while I was in New York, as well as the terrible event at the Pittsburgh synagogue.

Next:  elaboration on the best of my New York adventures…