Well, it did get too hot to see all the movie--"The Band Wagon" with Fred Astaire and Cyd Charisse.  There was lots of good dancing, but the blanket we were sitting on generated a lot of heat, making it feel like an oven, even though the air was cool.  What a great way to see a film, though!  Buildings of Manhattan all around.  All different kinds of people on blankets splayed out on a huge lawn.

Yesterday was quite the New York day.  I had stayed the night in Astoria in Queens then went to midtown to get the key to another friend's place where I stayed last night.  Dropped off my kindergartner-sized backpack at her place on the upper east side, took the subway down to the southwestern tip of Manhattan and had lunch with a friend at the World Financial Center, then traversed back up to the upper east side to take my second shower of the day and change into my third outfit.  This heat is BRUTAL!  I think the heat index yesterday was 105 or something?  Then to midtown, right across from Grand Central for dinner with my childhood French horn teacher.  Then to the movie in Bryant Park a few blocks away, then back to the upper east side.

Grand Central was crazy busy...I was there from about 5 to 5:30.  There's actually nowhere to sit so I just stood in the middle of the chaos and wrote down some thoughts.  It seemed like everything was in fast-forward, but it wasn't.  It reminded me of the Qatsi trilogy of films--I can't remember if it's Koyaanisqatsi or Powaqqatsi where people moving through Grand Central ARE in fast-forward with trippy Philip Glass arpeggios going in the background.  I couldn't get past the hurry and the chaos and the heat and it was just heavy.  I tried to get past it, but I couldn't and I don't know why.  But still, I really like this city.  I love the subway; I just don't like waiting for the subway when it's a million degrees and I'm on my third outfit, dying to get into a fourth.

Today, off to Minnesota and in a couple days to the backwoods of northern Minnesota.  From the chaos of the city to the serenity of Lake Superior with one of the most calming people of my life.  Should be a good way to close out this life adventure.