2/20/04 To Port Washington to Have a lovely Dinner with Mama at Romantico:

I found myself on a completely empty mid-day back car of the Port Washington train. I took photos, because I am a rail fan. There are thousands of us, everywhere in the world, who love trains like others like cars, planes, boats, space ships, etc. We obsess just like they do.

But, we get in trouble for it. A conductor stopped me, and warned me to "be careful" with a camera in "these times." I do not buy into this argument. The camera is being demonized as a terrorist weapon, and nobody has ever drawn a real connection between the two. Living in suspicion to the point of reduction of personal freedoms, one of which I consider to be taking photos of things I am allowed to SEE and REMEMBER and TALK ABOUT, is reducing a democracy down to a police state and destroying the liberties we fight to supposedly enjoy in the first place. In "these times" we both fight AND do NOT enjoy our liberties at the same time. Why? Someone please make a rational argument about cameras as terrorist weapons, and I will be happy to listen and behave accordingly. What is in these photos, or any I can take in public areas, that aids terrorism that can't be gleaned as information without the use of a camera?

Romantico is one of my mother and my favorite restaurants in town, if not THE favorite. Here is her clam sauce over linguine.

I had the blurry veal.

The best cannoli on EARTH is at this restaurant. I've had many in my day. This is what it should be.

My mom got a slightly-healthier dessert plate that was compliments of the waiter, who is our buddy. We chat with him every time we go. Various fruit, cookies, and cannoli cream. Mmmm.

And here I am in my scarf.