The NYC Workout

It was a sauna in The City.

I’m just getting back from three days in Manhattan. And that is on the heels of seven days in Vermont. Before that, was an impromptu trip into Canada earlier this month, that turned into an overnight in Burlington. I’ve eaten donuts in Allentown, noodle kugel in Great Neck, and ice cream in Troy.

All of this is to say, I’m off of my regular schedule. By a lot. Sweets have invaded my life. Vermont was full of beer. I barely know what day of the week it is. Although I know there’s some possibility I’ll be driving to Providence on Saturday.

Welcome to my summer of chaos and calories.

My trip to NYC was probably far too much fun for a work trip, but then again I do have the best job. And I love there is a free espresso bar at the Yelp office, complete with baristas and everything.

Before the work part of this trip, I got to spend some time with my sister, her partner, and their little sweet potato. There was food, to be sure. Great food. Including some treats she brought back from portugal. But to get to my sister’s apartment, I had to take the train uptown.

“Had to” is probably a bit of an oversimplification. But since I spent some of my early developmental years living in Brooklyn, I feel like a New Yorker. And part of being a New Yorker involves being competent at using the subway.

Except I’m less than competent at using the subway. It’s like a muscle. If you don’t use it, atrophy sets in. So I was compelled to take the train.

That may have been a mistake, because it was hot as hell on the platform.

Seriously, everyone on the train had a glossy sheen. It kind of looked a bit like a movie. Some people wore the look better than others. Because it’s Manhattan, and there are people who can rock any look.

Me, not so much. My head was dripping. It was good I had a bandana tucked away in my pocket to wipe away some of the sweat. Actually, I was fairly clever and packed several bandanas. It was the smartest thing I did on this trip. Because every day it was hot, humid, and swampy.

I consider the first few days training for yesterday, where I walked around the city for hours with my computer strapped to my back and dragging behind me a wheelie of dirty laundry, until my train left Grand Central.

Raf met me for a drink, I hit an outpost of Xi’an Famous Foods, grabbed a Cambodian sandwich from Num Pang Kitchen, and found a Maison Kayser for a financier.

It felt like I might be sweating through my jeans. My bandana was saturated. I walked, and walked, and walked despite the heat. In those few hours, I bought more bottles of water than I would in a typical month. It’s important to stay hydrated.

And when I finally sat down on the Amtrak to Albany, I was spent.

My feet may be a little sore today. I have a bunch of laundry to do. And I need to catch up on some work after two days of meetings. But as great as Manhattan may be, I’m still glad I don’t live there. The temptations are overwhelming. Hopefully I can slow things down for the next couple of days.

A long drive to Rhode Island in an air conditioned car may be just what the doctor ordered.