The Setting: Central Park, Port-O-Potties The Time: Just after the New York Philharmonic's Concert in the Park The People: My Cousin and her friend, and her two students Me: Oh! Do we stilll have any leftover water? Cousin: Yeah. A lot actually. Let me get a cup. Me: No no no. I want to wash my hands! Cousin: You didn't have Purell? Me: Purell? Cousin: Inside. They have Purell. Me: Bah! Water's better. Pour me some. Cousin: OK. ... Cousin: Actually, could you pour some for me too? Me: OK. Anna, do you want to wash your hands? Anna: No. Me: Oooookay. . . . . . . . . . . Its been a couple of busy days. Saterday was spent mostly sleeping off my exhaustion from the previous night, and tutoring my student. Afterwards I felt a bit peckish, which called for a visit to Grey's Papaya on 8th Street and 6th Ave. Which I haven't done in a long time. But as much as 2 dogs with Saurkraut and Onions and a small Papaya (all for $2.45) is tasty, I must be getting older, for it wasn't that tasty as I recall from my youth. But then, most of my youthful hotdogs were from the park vendors up on 96th Street. Oh, and for those of you not from the East Coast, when we say onions, we only mean the red sauteed onions. Don't bother asking for raw or white or plain or any other kind, 'cause we don't believe in that shiite. :: Sunday was a day of cooking. Buying and cooking. Chicken pasta salad. Finger sandwiches. Drinks. All in preperation for ... :: Monday night's Concert in the Park! It rained pretty steadily during the early evening, while I was still at work, but we decided to do it anyway. Cousin and her friends staked out a spot early, under a tree, far away from the stage or the speakers, and I joined them later. Sweating up a storm due to my charing out there on the hot sultry night. But when it became apparent that the night was going to be pleasant, and that the people around us were too loud, Cousin went out and staked out a better spot for us. Which there were plenty of, since people didn't come because of the rain. Turns out, after a cooling rain, and in the middle of a wide open grassy field, it gets cold at night. A little too cold, which was an unexpected bonus since I've been dying for the past week with the heat. I would have liked to have stayed out there all night long. Alas, the candles died out. We ran out of food. The music ended. And the fireworks, spectaular though they were, had to stop eventually. Cousin and friends were dropped off with her father, who drove into the city and picked them up. And I went home to bake the night away at home Just like now.