So yesterday I didn’t do anything but walk around the city.  For 9 hours.  With only occasional breaks for food and coffee.  First I headed from Hoboken to Williamsburg.  Then off to Boro Park in an attempt to find a personalized “Esther” item.  Boro Park being a predominently Jewish neighborhood, it seemed like a safe bet.  Eichler’s Superstore was stocked with personalized keychains of every Jewish girl’s name except for Esther, which was of course sold out.  Then back to lower Manhattan for another trip to Other Music, where I found the amazing Connie Converse CD in the used bin.  Then a quick stop to East Village Radio’s tiny cubicle studio to say hi to the Minimal Wave crew, whom I got to know via email while researching xex.  Finally a little more East Village exploring before finally, mercifully, collapsing on the PATH train back to Hoboken.

I must have walked at least five miles when all was said and done.  To quote a prominent New Yorker, the late Christopher Wallace (a.k.a. Biggie Smalls): “Man, listen.  All this walking is hurting my feet.”  I am completely out of practice with this sort of NYC walking.  I have blisters on my feet and am pretty much exhausted.

Today I’m at my mom’s house in Mercer County.  I was able to make a brief Princeton Record Exchange run before taking a three-hour nap.  I met my eight-year-old niece for the first time.  She is a remarkably good, warm and well-behaved child.  It turns out my younger brother is an excellent dad.  Who knew?

This has been a fun trip, and a necessary reminder of how important it is to stay in touch with family and old friends…but I’m looking forward to heading home tomorrow night all the same.