Me: Can you send me a message using that voice record thing you have on your phone?
Her: (puzzled) It’s just text-to-speech Logan.
Me: Well, I dunno if I have that on my phone.
Her: You definitely have that on your phone.
Me: You’re so snobby with your fancy advanced technology.
Her: It’s text-to-speech!

Probably one of my favourite things about living in NYC is seeing bits of old New York City peek through our modern lives.

Like, look at the old ferry terminal downtown against the modern skyscrapers behind it.

Or this ignored subway station entrance that looks like it came right outta the 1970s:

Or the cobblestone streets built with stones from at least 250 years ago:

Like when Sara and I took our walk downtown and we walked past alla these cast-iron buildings.

Some of which would tell you more about them if you looked a little closer.

I mean, even the coffee shop that Rain used to live above looks like it came from a different era.

Actually, walking around the city, I always try and if I can echoes of old New York.

Like this old school diner, we ran across in Tribeca the other day…Or this building below – which I found out later is the Corbin Building at the intersection of John Street and Broadway (13 John Street and 192 Broadway) – which I found on another one of our walks.It’s not mentioned in its Wikipedia entry, but I noticed that it had faint lettering that said, “Optical Journal.”

So, then I spent a good amount of time trying to figure that out – it turns out that there wasn’t an “Optical Journal” that operated there, it was literally just an ad according to this paper.

And those faint letterings of past NYC are called ghost signs.

Honestly, I love seeing ghost signs when I run across them, for reasons that I can’t really explain.

Maybe it’s because, after living in NYC for so long, I run into old ghosts on the regular and this feels like another form of that?

Dunno. But I like it.

Lemme know if you know of any ghost signs or glimpses into Old NYC?

Location: in my head again, wondering
Mood: alone
Music: Smoke my cigarettes – I should quit, I know (Spotify)
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My kid and Sara’s kid are coming back from their respective summer months away.

Her: This is our last weekend to be DINKs.
Me: Then let’s go out.
Her: I’ve got just the place.

We started the night pretty early at this gorgeous rooftop restaurant called One40 Rooftop that Sara picked out.

We were surprised that it overlooked Ground Zero.

Her: I wasn’t expecting that. It’s beautiful. So crazy that so much happened right there.
Me: I’d gone there so many times in my life. I remember so much about that day.

Her: I read that they’re about to break ground on Two World Trade Center. I have no idea where they’re going to put it.
Me: I didn’t even know that. (thinking) We should probably change the subject.

There’s something that will – for me and many lifelong New Yorkers – always be quiet and sacred about that place.

So, I’ll stop talking about it now and leave you with our view.

We were the only ones there, which is part of why I like to eat so early.

Her: You’re so old. Eating so early.
Me: I have my intermittent fasting deadline!

The food was delicious…

…and while it was enough for her, it was not for me.

Her: Do you wanna get something else?
Me: Yes. But not here. Let’s just see what’s around.
Her: (checking her phone) Oh, The Malt House looks nice.
Me: Done – let’s go.

But, as we were paying the check, the waiter leaned over our table.

Him: You know, before you leave, you should really go over to the other side. The views there are even better than the view here.
Me: Oh man, thanks! We’ll do that.

So, we did.

He was right, the view did not disappoint.

Afterward, we made our way to the other bar and ordered some more drinks.

Me: I’m still hungry.
Her: Big surprise.
Me: Oh, they have sweet potato fries. That’s paleo.
Her: Well, it’s not the worst thing.

We had a few more drinks and continued to chat.

Her: I like it down here.
Me: Me too – it’s a lot different here than when I was a kid. But the major issue is that it’s at sea level or below.
Her: This is true.
Me: It’s ok. We can visit.

Afterwards, it was still pretty bright outside – see, the benefits of eating early – so we went for a stroll.

Sara made a new friend.

But he was too busy staring at his paperwork to notice her.

His loss, really.

As we started to go home…

Me: I’m still hungry.
Her: I would say I’m surprised, but I’m not.
Me: Look! Dollar pizza.
Her: It’s $2.
Me: I’m still getting one. Maybe two.

It was a nice way to wind down our time without the kids for a spell.

We still had one more thing to do, though.

But I’ll tell you all about it in the next entry.

Location: my humid room, interviewing someone
Mood: hungry
Music: down this empty street, let’s walk in the cool evening night (Spotify)
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Me: Hey, I gotta meet up with my boss after work this week. Do you wanna join us?
Her: Sure! (thinking) Actually, can you leave a little early and swing by my new office? You haven’t seen it yet.
Me: Bet!

My first apartment in Manhattan was on 46th Street, between 5th and 6th Avenues, on a street called Little Brazil.

Back then, I worked at 42nd and Broadway, so I could literally wake up 30 minutes before work and be at my desk before anyone.

Like I said, I had so many lives before I started this blog back when I was 32.

Now, the thing is that my current gig is just southeast of my old pad, and Sara’s new gig is just northeast of it.

So, I decided to check out her new digs before we met up with my boss to discuss a case that I was working on.

Her: What do you think?
Me: (shielding my eyes from the bright afternoon sun) Too bad you don’t get any light or views here.
Her: (laughing) Yeah, the windows are awesome, but the sun can be a bit much – that’s why we always have the shades drawn.

We walked past my old pad, and I was shocked to see that half the block was demolished.

Me: WHOA! Everything’s gone!
Her: Is your old building still here?
Me: Yeah, but most of the buildings to the east of it are…gone. (sighing)
Her: Are you ok?
Me: (nodding slowly) Yeah. Everything I knew and loved is fading away. (pointing off across the street) Man, I spent so many nights in my 20s in that Barnes and Noble.
Her: I didn’t even notice that was there.
Me: At least some things I remember are still here.

The place we were meeting my boss was called Valerie, which wasn’t there when I lived there some three decades ago.

We got there first and ordered a few drinks, before my boss came.

But he showed up pretty soon after.

After some pleasantries…

Him: I’ve been here before. Don’t remember what for but I’ve definitely been here.
Me: I think I may have come with you.
Him: What made you pick it?
Me: It’s one of the few places left in NYC where you can still get dollar oysters.
Her: That tracks.

…we settled into a nice conversation where we discussed my case…

Me: What do you think?
Him: It’s interesting. There might be something there. I’ll dig a little bit and let you know what we find.
Me: Sweeeeet.

…and then all chatted.

Her: How many oysters did you get?
Me: 24? Protein!

Nuthin like protein and alcohol for dinner.

Afterward, I snagged the check.

Him: I’ve got it, this is a business dinner.
Me: Nah, it’s my case and I invited you out.
Him: (laughing) OK, next time.

The place was empty when we got there but, by the time we left, the whole place was hopping.

He went east, back to the office or home, while Sara and I walked west to catch our ride uptown.

Her: I’m really impressed with how intelligent your boss is.
Me: He’s literally one of the only people I could ever work for.
Her: Why is that?
Me: Because I respect him. He’s an excellent lawyer and good guy. That’s why I’ve worked for myself for so long – there aren’t too many people I respect enough to do that.

Location: the UWS, narrowly missing a thunderstorm
Mood: humid
Music: So cool, she was like jazz on a summer’s day (Spotify)
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Him: Why do you bother still writing? How many readers do you even have?
Me: I dunno. But, I suppose that doesn’t matter.
Him: Why not?
Me: (shrugging) Because I’m not writing for them. I’m writing for me.

We’ve been doing a lotta things with Scenic Fights lately, which means that I’ve been shooting more and more.

This isn’t a bad thing, per se, it’s just tiring.

Never realized how mentally taxing acting is until I had to do it – hitting cues, remembering lines, the acting itself, etc.

No, it’s not rocket science, but it’s definitely not a simple matter either.

Still, I know that I’m super lucky that I get to create content that people actually wanna consume.

I think I’ll keep doing it until they don’t wanna shoot me anymore.

Here’s a longform video we just shot a few weeks ago that the producers cranked out in record time.

Right after that shoot, I actually went with Sara to the Frenchman’s pad, along with my kali instructor and some of the other students for a random get-together – ostensibly to watch the World Cup, but really just to hang out and have an excuse to eat.

We actually spent the day with the fella sitting behind Sara – we’ll call him the Shooting Doctor for reasons that will become apparent in another entry.

Her: Do you want some ice cream?
Me: No. But I do wanna have more alcohol and chips.
Her: Go for it.
Me: Sweeeeeeeeeeet.

Speaking about cranking out content and doing things, I started this blog decades ago because so many of my other friends were doing it.

But they all stopped years ago and I’m the last one left of the people I started with.

I think that, ever since Alison got sick and I lost her, I’ve valued how much this blog has been a living record of my adult life.

I get to visit all my possible pasts – at least from September 2006 to now – anytime I want.

The funny thing is that I started this when I was 33 years old after a rando breakup.

Man, so much has happened since then.

But so much happened before that as well. I honestly wish I wrote back then because I would definitely like to revisit the Logan Lo of 70s-90.

Just like I visit Logan from the 00s, 10s, and early 20s.

Maybe, someday, I’ll tell you about my life in 90s and early 2000s when I worked in the clubs and was a struggling lawyer/tech guy.

Someday.

Him: How long you gonna keep writing?
Me: Until I can’t, I suppose.

Location: a pistol range and then killer Turkish food
Mood: ear-achy
Music: the fear gives me life and I swеar ’til I die I’m gonna do it my way (Spotify)
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