I got into my hotel in Manhattan around 4 PM yesterday after 3 hours sleep the night before, and when my plastic key didn’t work twice, I asked for a different room and could it be up high? Well the angel at the desk gave me a suite on the 26th floor and to my amazement it had a large balcony with deck chairs, best room I’ve ever had here. Thank you lord. The climate is perfect, a bit of rain, shirt sleeve weather, a comfortable 70 degrees. I hit the streets about 6, headed downtown (I’m at 31st & 7th), got some Japanese bubble tea, ran into this wonderful group of people in Union Square doing the Argentine tango, had a great Vietnamese meal at the Saigon Shack (114 MacDougal), cappuccino at Cafe Reggio, wandered shooting pics, watched the last 4 minutes of a great game between the Celtics and Lakers (those guys are so beautiful!), walked into the Bitter End just as a powerful little singer, Sirsy and her band were doing a rock and roll version of Johnny Be Good, and was it good! I listen to mostly blues, also bluegrass, “outlaw country,” 50s R&B, and Vivaldi, but there’s just something about rock and roll. Thrills my soul.