Remembering NYC

It's Monday morning - early. It's Columbus Day today, a holiday for the banking and government world.

I was reading through my old blog the other day. I have another blog on Yahoo but had not updated it since April. I read all the entries and got a kick out of it. It surely brought memories back of NYC. Ahhhh, NYC.

I was just outside having a cigarette. Yuck. But I'm going to finish the pack that I bought. I'm not even halfway done, and it's not even a particularly great goal. Yuck. I was out there thinking how this time in the morning in NYC usually includes noise from night revelers still partying in the wee hours while at the same time, garbage trucks are picking up garbage.

My apartment in NYC was in a high traffic, high tourist spot. It was never a problem grabbing a cab in that area at this time. There were many times when I would get up, pack, and grab a cab outside. It was also great to walk across the street and get cash from the WAMU ATM that was so conveniently located there.

I also remember times when I would be working very late, and when I got a craving for a Snickers bar or a Ben & Jerry's Cherry Garcia ice cream, I would walk to the bodega across the street at 2:00 a.m. and buy them. NYC was very safe to and for me. I still remember partying with friends all over, at dive bars here and there. There were times when I would walk home at 4:00 a.m. from East Village or Tribeca because they were both within walking distance.

There were also times when I would take a cab or take the subway from midtown or uptown, get to my apartment building, walk up to the 4th floor, and just crash. There were a couple of times when I could not remember how the hell I got home. Scary maybe, but I always felt safe and always had good times.

There was one particular incident that I'll never forget. There was the shootout on Sullivan between Bleecker and 3rd Street, the block that I lived on. This madman shot two auxiliary police officers. They both died. One died right across the street from where I lived. The news hit nationally. My then boss said he was on a plane getting ready to go somewhere (I think Ohio), and he was worried about me.

My brother Zaldy said he had talked about it with his co-worker. When he and Lien came to visit soon after, he mentioned it to me and asked if I knew about it. I told him that it happened right on the block we were on. I pointed to the view across the street and told him that that was where one of the officers had died. I told them that I peeked out after the ringing shots had died down and saw a body and people surrounding him. I realized he was wearing a uniform.

That was the bad part of NYC. I was rattled a bit, but it didn't really bother me or affect me long term. I'll have to relate my experience in another blog sometime because the events leading up to it would have involved me had I followed my routine. But that night, I changed my routine, which leads me to believe that I have angels watching over me. Had I not changed my routine, I might have been in the line of fire, running into the mad gunman. It might have been a close one.

There are many memories of NYC that I'd like to put in this blog. As I recall them, I'll try to remember to write them down here. It was great experience for me, and I would not trade it for the world. Remembering NYC helps give me some perspective today on where I came from and where I'm headed. I am indeed fortunate to have that and many other things I own today due to the hard work I put forth every day.

I'll return to NYC again I'm sure. It will be just a visit, however, to reminisce and see my old stomping grounds.