This and that

• The night after I bragged about having had a quality cat moment with Biggins, I forgot him outside. Thank God the patio is closed off and he couldn't run away, and the temperatures were cold, but bearable - so he survived, and seems happy as ever. Phew.
• My sister has arrived in India. She talks about wild monkeys, cows and elephants on the street, and curry for every meal, but she seems to like it. The hospital she is working at is not quite up to the Western standards of hygiene she is used to - but I know her, she'll find her place in a matter of days.
• On Thursday night I met up with Stephanie, a grade school buddy of mine from DC whom I haven't seen in 16 years!! She lives in a funky little place on Avenue C in the Lower East Side, and we had a read Bavarian beer at Zum Schneider and talked like we'd known each other for years. Which, technically isn't true... it's funny when the last memory you have of someone is a little blond seven-year-old with pigtails, and suddely you're faced with a grown woman - and I mean grown, she is about 6ft tall!
• Less than a week until Amy arrives! We met up in Paris last time, and New York it is this time! Any suggestions where to go next? (Preferably including cheap flights and free accomodation.)
• PIA IS COMING TO NEW YORK! She will be here for the entire month of February. We have seen each other three times in the past two years, so this will be great. And, to make things more extraordinary (only few of you will appreciate this): She will be working for my friend Bill Grace and living in the WYA house. Full circle.
• Did I mention I love New York? Here's another reason why: This city makes you fall in love with it over and over again. Once you think you've found out about the best spots, you come across more, and they are completely different, but equally fantastic.

Off I go. Time to deliver on my promise to get fit and go for a run. And after that, I think some book browsing and shop exploring in SoHo might be in order. This weekend will be a good one. Especially because, thanks to Martin Luther King, Monday is off.