Few minutes in the city

with a 4 and a half hour layover in newark, i had to make the most of it by jetting into the city. while i am not exactly homesick for the big apple yet, i did want to get my fix. i was absolutely elated to emerge from penn station onto an overcrowded 7th avenue. back in the 1930s, before commercial air travel, penn station was a traveller's first gateway to nyc. i experienced that entrance for the first time yesterday. it was my first jaunt into nyc as a visitor.

arriving in midtown at 3pm, we walked through H&M, up 7th ave past my old work neighborhood, to bryant park. too bad there wasn't enough time to skate at the new icerink.



we met up with charu & tom for coffee and gifts at the Coliseum bookstore's cafe. it was perfect that we got to catch up even for a little bit - just under one hour. at 4:05 we had to jump onto the subway and we made our newark train with only 3 minutes to spare.

it was nice to be able to plan the timing thanks to the Airtrain.

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Originally uploaded by tremelor.

Up the block from my office

it is bitter cold in nyc, and while it is wintry in pdx, i feel so lucky to be enveloped in sunshine. today, i trekked over to forest park near my office, and saw the most heavenly light. i didn't have time for a true ramble, but i visited a creek just past an old green steel bridge. the air smelled so fresh.



it is strange to be working in another city, even another office. while i enjoy a development space that doesn't work on an agonizingly slow remote server, and gaze at douglas firs out in the distance, i am in the good company of one or two office mascots who quietly watch over us.

Since when are boats parked outside offices?

let's just say my surroundings are different here in portland. on my first day of work at my 1-month freelance gig, i happened upon this boat in the lot beside our building. i like it.

i sit beside a window with a view of tall doug fir trees atop rolling hills. some houses, some warehouses. it's quiet and clean. i definitely escaped the hubbub and am currently enjoying a slice of milder city life.

at the fireside coffee lodge

there is a little room at the back of the fireside coffee lodge and in it are two rocking chairs as well as a plethora of woodsy imagery. a fake tree stump and an angry bear are here to hold up our coffee.



i've never heard of eggnog lattes, but i keep seeing signs for them everywhere. we have opted for plain old coffee with half & half, sugar, and a pinch of cinnamon. i got decaf because i have an early 9am appointment tomorrow and need some sleep tonight.



josh is hidden in the corner beneath a jigsaw puzzle of a grizzly.

dinner hour

between the living room and the kitchen is a wall with two little windows so while sitting at my dining table you can chat with the person washing the dishes on the other side.



my top shelf is a little high, like tippy-toe high, but i like how things look up there. today, i put up some cup hooks to hang my blue mugs. things are looking quainter.