back in the USA!

cookie's up really early and the rest of the house is fast asleep (four teenagers, no one gets up past 10 a.m. here) and i've had LOTS of time to update the blog and facebook. it feels awesome to get back. the flight down rocked, but i almost missed it because i was a goon and didn't fill up the car before i left and had to find a gas station on the interstate so i wouldn't stall. plus i got held up at the border for a half hour! i breezed right through, but the customs agent deemed it necessary to detain each car ahead of me for a full five minutes, WTF!

i made my first trip into manhattan with my dad, who had to teach a class at 24th and lex. i met up with one of my friends from dental school and had my first slice of new york pizza in over nine months paired with a diet coke in one of those wax-coated paper cups. it was so meaningful i almost cried. seriously.

today's lunch at carmine's and hanging with more friends. i'm trying to hook up with as many people as i can, but it's hard - i do have famliy here, too! tomorrow's my sister's 18th birthday and we have something planned for her, probably dinner out.

it feels really great to be back. i miss canuck, as he opted out of this trip because of work, but i'm having a great time. i'm keeping tabs of all the new york food that i miss and am now stuffing my face with. here are yesterday's totals:

"official" NY Mets donut from dunkin' donuts
new york city pizza
new york bagel
anything that doesn't have french written on it
milk in jugs/cartons