8/17/03 Market Diner; Jack, Barbara and Friend on Circle Line in Torrent; Nikko's; Rich's YES Watch says "Z.":

Today I worked at Circle Line. During the break between trips, I walk one (large) block east of the Circle Line Pier to get some lunch. The place is called "Market Diner." It's a bizarre piece of real estate in Manhattan. I mean... look at it!!! It has a parking lot out front, as if it doesn't realize where it is. It's a total throwback to a long-gone era. 43rd street and 11th avenue. It's symbol is the Statue of Liberty holding a burger. The food is reliably good. They were serving breakfast the day after the blackout, when I still didn't have power downtown. They were packed to the gills that morning, food was literally flying around, and I was lucky to get the last single bar stool in the house. And my order came quickly, and correctly amid the total chaos. I tipped the waiter $15 that morning on a less-than-$4 breakfast. Disasters make people generous for a short time after. Might as well go with it. This is where I suggested to go when my grandparents and my parents came to see me on the boat. My mother said she used to get some late night snacks here when she moved to Manhattan in the 70's. My grandfather remembered this place from far earlier than that!!!

My Uncle Jack, Aunt Barbara, and their friend visiting from California, (from right to left, like Hebrew writing), came aboard my second trip today. None of them had been on my 3-hour tour, so it was new, in a way, for all of them. And while some people don't like knowing their audience, I seem to thrive on it. It adds an extra buzz to the adrenaline, I guess.

I gave a good tour.... considering the circumstances. It was totally torrentially raining for much of the Harlem River and Spuyten Duyvil Creek portion of the tour. You can see people vacating the open-air areas of the boat. And a few suckers in the back right who are braving the weather, and getting totally soaked. Sometimes the weather can sour the mood. Other times, like today, the weather can be so ridiculous that the people on the boat develop a sort of community feeling. We're all in it together, braving the elements. That sort of thing.

I loved this woman in the lower left. Jolly Midwesterners, I presume. I stood right in front of them when I heard them responding so well to my jokes. They rearranged their chairs to maintain a view, but out of the rain. By the end of the tour, they were hysterical. They gave me a round of applause before the tour was even over! Some people were miffed about the weather, but it was nice to see others enjoying themselves in spite of it. And the weather actually worked with the tour a little bit. We spend about an hour and a half in the narrow waters of the East and Harlem Rivers. But when we pass through an open swing bridge, into the wide, beautiful Hudson River Valley at the northern tip of Manhattan, it is always and amazing change of scenery. But, today, just as we got there, as if someone had turned off a faucet, literally, the rain STOPPED. And it was eerie and quiet and peaceful just as we entered such a majestic natural moment of the tour. Indescribable. Perfect.

I convinced my guests to have dinner at Nikko's on the Upper West Side. That great Greek place Louie introduced me to a few months ago. They took me out for getting them on the boat, which was very nice. It was an excellent time had by all, and Aunt Barbara really enjoyed this white pizza on the left.

This shot is blurry because it's so close up, but you get the idea. It's Richard's "YES" watch. That's the brand name, anyway. He's been wearing it since we were Juniors in College (about 2 YEARS ago!!!! Ahhhh!) It has only one hand that makes a full rotation every 24 hours. The light and dark areas behind the hand show daylight (top) and nighttime (bottom). At this time of the year, daylight savings pushes the dark hours a little later, and therefore, a little clockwise, as shown. But when Rich woke up today, he looked at the time, and at the top it is supposed to read out, digitally, the time of day. Instead, it just says "Z." You can just barely make it out in this photo at the top left of the circle. Rich FREAKED OUT. Not many things get to Richard. He professes to hold his liquor very well. He can solve many problems that would make McGuiver cockeyed. But when his watch isn't working right, he turns into a toddler having a temper tantrum. Hey, everyone has their Achilles heel. So, Rich has been on the phone with the watch's creator. He was finally told that "Z" simply means the battery is low. Oh! Happy Rich, once again.