Living for the Weekend...NYC style.

Saturday....

I arrived in NYC on Saturday afternoon...it was hotter than expected.  95 degrees in late September...but I welcomed the heat.  I was so stoked to be in the city.  My whole mood and ways of expression changed when I landed.  I'm much more my authentic self in New York...

First line of business...I had to get myself from JFK to Crown Heights/Bedstuy in Brooklyn with my luggage.  Fortunately, I was smart enough to travel with only two bags.  Both on wheels with handles very key when manuevering the subway.  The Air Tran connects directly to the A line which was so COOL, since that was the train I needed.  When I reached my stop...I saw a young cat run down the stairs and I politely asked him to run back up the stairs carrying my luggage. =)  He did.  I LOVE Brooklyn.  When I came above ground...it was a whole new world.  I understand why people consider Brooklyn a PLANET...it's its own steez.  Haitians flirting in french, West Indians selling, Africans braiding, Indians, Latinos...all living in close quarters and the best part of all...crowded sidewalks.  Instantly I felt right at home.  In New York...I'm not a tourist.  I stay in neighborhoods, I've got a crew...and I know the city...best of all...I feel like the city knows me.

Fast forward a few hours and a fresh shower later...my girl Ayana (the dopest artist turned purse designer that you've ever seen...but don't take my word...pick up September AND October's issue of Essence magazine...that's right, she's so dope they had to publish her twice yanahandbags.com or check out the interview with MSNBC) and I roll out to SoHo to do a little window shopping on Spring Street and run a few errands.  The vibe...so dope.  Food, couture shops, and architecture and design...New York is style heaven.

My girl Talleah (independent documentary film producer....she's the ish) met up with Ayana and me in Tribeca.  Ayana had to head out on bidness so Talleah and I ended up at springstreetnatural.com eating the yummiest vegetarian taco salads and cucumber and pineapple/lemonades ever.  Talleah recently moved to NYC from L.A. with her husband...something I'm thinking about...the move...not so sold on the husband part...but that's a different story for a different time.  We hadn't seen each other in a few months so it was good to break bread and laugh about the old and new...like we always do.

My homie Craig (Morehouse man...NY/Jersey lawyer) rolled through and scooped us up after dinner.  We dropped Talleah home in Chelsea and headed over to the East Village.  Craig and I...it was destiny.  We've been cool for like forever and a day and our connection is SO strong that we can't even explain it. We just make each other feel better, and we're always there at the right time.  It's kind of cool to have that kindred spirit.  We've had so many broken relationships between us...grown so much...prayed together, for each other...and most of all...laughed together like the way genuine friends can...without inhibitions.  After walking around the Village...then heading over to the Chelsea Pier...I was dog tired.  The lack of sleep finally hit me.  Craig drove me back to Yana's in Brooklyn...and I was out like a light.

Not a bad start on the first day of the rest of my life.