9/13/03 U.N. Doc on my Boat; Dinner with Mike, Rachel, Erin, Aaron, Mike's Roommate's, their Significant Others, and Mike's Family in Chelsea:

A two man video crew came on my Circle Line trip today. I asked them what it was for, and they told me they were shooting B-roll for a documentary they are making, commissioned by the United Nations. From the front of our boat, they could get the sweeping panorama's of New York City, it's skyline, the stature, the UN itself, and everything else. I thought it was an ingenious idea. For the price of the tour, they were getting the land-equivalent of a helicopter fly-by, without the extreme expense. I've got to keep this in mind! And they were quite surprised how much they learned by the end of the tour, and they thanked me profusely and tipped me a $20 bill. So nice. They even put me in a shot as we passed the UN building, capturing what I said about it. Who knows if they'll ever use it, but keep your eyes peeled!

By the end of my three tours, I had almost lost my voice. This was troubling to me. I NEVER lose my voice, no matter how much I talk or yell, even during my 6 hours of lectures on Circle Line. I chalked up to the cold I was getting over, and tried not to talk much this evening, to no avail. Mike Piaker had invited me to a very large gathering of friends. It was Mike's Brother's Birthday, and his parents, who are extremely generous when they visit NYC, invited 15 of us out to dinner! The 7 at this table, plus myself, were the Mike contingent, even though it wasn't Mike's B-day. From left to right: Mike's Roommate, His Girlfriend, Mike's other Roommate, Mike, His Girlfriend, Aaron, His Girlfriend (Erin).

We actually had a really good time, but we were sitting right underneath a speaker, and the music was blasting at us, making us all yell, pushing my voice further.

Mike, his waffle, and his vanilla shake. The first one they brought was accidentally strawberry, and he wasn't about to have any of that.

Erin, being theatrical about her Fried Green Tomatoes for the camera.

Mike's brother at another table on the right, and one of his friends, left.

After dinner, we all stood to go, but stood around for a while chatting.

O.k. How do I address this? ..... The hands belong to Mike and his girlfriend. They've been dating for some time now. They met via the Bleacher Creatures at Yankee Stadium. Mike's been a bleacher creature for a few years, and this girl started showing up. All bleacher creatures have a nickname. Mike's is Domi. That's the name of some ballplayer important to Mike, and Mike wears a Domi shirt to the games. Her nickname became JB or Jailbait, because she was attractive to the 30 and 40-something Bleacher Creatures, and was only 16 years old at the time.

Now she's 17. I think. And Mike's 22. I think. And there's a considerable age difference as she's going to college and he's in Law School. But... it's not totally unheard of. When this all began, Erin and Aaron and I literally sat Mike down and had an "intervention." We strongly opposed the relationship, the potential consequences, etc. But, well after I thought the relationship would end of it's own internal forces... it has lived on. Now it's been going on for a considerable part of a year. It's not being measured in months anymore. And with each passing month, its continued existence gives itself an added bit of credibility. And over time all of us have come to accept this relationship in our own ways, at least enough, by this point, for tonight to have happened. Tonight was the first time we've seen them together in a "public" setting. Their relationship was a secret from both sets of parents for a long time until very recently. And now that that hurdle has been jumped, Rachel could be invited to this evening's proceedings. And so... life marches on.

And you can see... through all of their goofiness, and both of their maturity, and both of their lack of it, and through the age difference and all that.... they are quite fond of each other.

Perhaps this couple is a modern fairly tale... A modern Romeo & Juliet? With a happy ending? Or at least not a deadly ending? We all can hope. Kids these days don't generally dramatically poison and stab themselves when things go wrong, so I think we've come a long way over the years. And the families are not feuding with swords, although I don't think they're going to take family vacations any time soon either. And who knows where this will lead. We've all had relationships that make other people cock their heads to the side and wonder a little bit. Romance and rationality often fly in each other's faces. And if they are being responsible, and safe, if they're happy together, that's all that really matters.

And if she were my daughter, I'd lock her in a tower.

The restaurant was on 17th st and 7th av.

Out on the corner, we all gabbed some more.

Aaron and Erin. This relationship, by comparison, has gone on long enough. 4 YEARS!

Awww. Mike and his mom.

Aww.. er.... awwww. Mike and Rachel. They like to be... different.

Under my sweater I was wearing my Circle Line uniform. Somehow the show "Queer Eye on a Straight Guy" came up. It's all the rage nowadays. And it was suggested that I go on it. I ripped off my sweater and posed for the camera, so we can send this picture to Queer Eye with the caption, "HELP!"

Some of the gang.

Random: Two guys walk by, side by side, in the same shirt. It caught all of our attention and I didn't get the camera turned on and ready until they passed.

Erin and I headed downtown to our Financial District homes. Everyone else went everywhich way. It felt like after a huddle at a football game when they say, "Break!"