Reflections on today

Today, I checked off one of the many things on my "Stuff I Must Do Before I Leave the Greater NYC Area" -- I took Petunia to the Metropolitan Museum of Art.  Inspired by our recent reading of From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Konigsburg, we trekked to the Met to find the objets d'art referenced in the book.  To boot, a friend of mine from college, whom I'll call Mo, located me on Facebook recently, and we reconnected after having lost touch some fourteen years ago; since Mo's in Brooklyn, he came into the Met to meet up with us.  While spending time with an old friend was the highlight of my day, here are some others:

En route to the train, a mad dash since Petunia had tap dance class this morning:
Mama, to Dash: What are you going to do for your men's day with Daddy?
Dash: First, Daddy, we have to go to the bank.  We have to see if they have a lot more money there for Hot Wheels and maybe Matchbox cars.

Post-train, hopping in a cab:
Mama, to cab driver: We're going to the Met Museum.
Cabbie: Okay!  West Side!
Mama: NO!  East Side!
Cabbie: MoMA's on West Side!
Mama: We're not going to MoMA, we're going to the Met!
Cabbie: I don't think I understand you!
Mama: Yeah, me neither!  Let us out, please!

In the second cab, after stopping at the cab stand to make sure I knew the exact address of the Met, just in case every cabbie on line was also on week one of both English classes and driving in the City:
Mama: Would you please take us to the Met Museum?
Cabbie: Sure, no problem.
Mama: Can you tell me where it is?
Cabbie: Upper East Side, 5th between 82nd and 83rd.
Mama: You're awesome.  We were just in a cab and the guy thought that MoMA was the Met.
Cabbie: New guy, probably.  Are you running late?  [He caught me glancing at my watch; it's 12:53, and we're scheduled to meet Mo at 1.]
Mama: Not really.  We're meeting a friend at 1, but we can be a little late -- it's around 15 minutes away right?
Cabbie: Don't worry, I'll get you there right on time.

After death-defying cab ride:
Kissed the ground and vowed to take public transportation for the rest of my life.

At the museum:
Petunia: You know, being in this museum is like going around the world!  There's stuff here from China, Japan, Egypt, America... This is awesome!

And that comment eased the blow of our learning that the objets d'art referenced in From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler are not, in fact, in the Met Museum.  So, we did not find Michelangelo's "Angel" sculpture, a fountain outside the cafeteria, the bed they slept in... But Petunia successfully imagined Claudia and Jamie climbing the big staircase, and she went on to wonder if they could've hidden in the Ming Scholar's Retreat successfully.  She didn't seem the least bit disappointed but, rather, seemed to soak in the wonder of that whole, huge museum.  The highlight of my day was reviewing our outing together on the train ride home, from Petunia's enjoyment of meeting one of my college friends who used to draw the Rugrats through to our taking in a street gymnastics performance while sharing some warm roasted nuts.   We are both exhausted from all of the walking but have vowed to take in at least one more museum before we head West.

And as I drift off tonight, I'll try not to obsess over having come to realize that I'll miss this quick and easy access to NYC more than anything else in this area.  My kids love going into the City, and I know fear that San Francisco won't compare.   At least the City that never sleeps will still be singing its siren song whenever we return, hopefully often.