Day 20

Woke up cold and too early in the Pennsylvania Welcome Center parking lot. Fine welcome. Took my time and made up some coffee and oatmeal which set me right for the trip to New York. On the drive I made a bunch of phone calls in an attempt to secure a place to keep the van. My friend Maura was out of town and offered me her place in Brooklyn and even hooked me up with free parking! Sweeeet! The only thing I had to do now was pick up the apt. key in some SoHo park from the babysitter...then cross the Brooklyn Bridge and meet this guy, Hasan, at an auto garage next door to the apt. and he would tell me where I could park. Sounds fine right? Once I made it through the Holland Tunnel into Manhattan...my city state of mind was back like a flash. Ahhhh....the city. Yes, Please! I maneuvered the great white pig through the narrow streets of SoHo eventually jumping a curb up on a sidewalk to make a call. It's illegal to talk on the phone while driving without a headset here. I shut the van off and kicked open the drivers door My bare feet hit the pavement after my flip flops which had fallen out when I kicked the door. The warm pavement still felt like summer on my feet. While getting the directions from the key lady, I started to notice that several of the patrons of the open air cafe where I parked my van were taking notice of my presence (not something that I've experienced in New York before). This parking spot and erratic manner was making me somewhat of a spectacle. I finished my call, changed my shoes and jumped the van off the sidewalk. Rolling down blocks bursting with hordes of beautifully preened people I smiled a big smile and felt glad to be back for a stretch.