It is a lot easier for me to write about things once I have a certain amount of distance between me and the subject, but this time around I thought I might talk to you all for a minute. Now I don’t want anyone writing to me about it, or calling me, or anything like that. That’s not why I write. I don’t need people to assure me that things will be all right with the world because, to quote my friend Jimmy (there are two now!), “that’s not the way I roll.” So, the moral of the story is, don’t write to me about this Blog because I won’t respond.

That being said, I wanted to tell you all about my grandmother. Ardelle Lillian McLean, or as we all call her, Nonnie (“nonni” means grandparents in Italian, so “Nonnie” is some sort of derivative of that) has always been in my life. Since shortly after my 7th birthday, she even lived only a block away from me. Nonnie’s the kind of woman who is always prim and proper when the situation calls for manners, but whispers naughty things behind her napkin to you. She taught me to chew my food twenty times per mouthful (that lesson never took), to hug and kiss people I just met, and to always exclaim “What pretty wrapping paper!” whenever I receive a present of some sort. She likes to pinch people’s bottoms (or, “pinch their coolies” as she says), whether she’s just met them or even if she’s known them for years. Whenever I would visit, I would be forced to eat all the leftovers in the refrigerator and, if she didn’t have any cash on hand, she would send me home with a ziplock baggie of change. She taught me how to shellac plastic eggs that we’d decorated, and how to make the best gosh-darn artichokes you’ve ever had. I raked her leaves in the Fall, shoveled her walkway in the Winter, watched her weed her garden in the Spring, and had her over to our swimming pool in the Summer. Danny and I used to go over her house just to watch cable, which we never had when we were kids. Nonnie’s house is where I first saw MTV, watched Batman (Kapow! Bang! Pop!), and snuck candy out of my grandparent’s private stash. Before I had braces, Nonnie helped me learn to stop sucking my fingers by giving me gold stars for each day I didn’t stick them in my mouth. We spent many summer days at Salisbury Beach, and she was always bringing me out on the town for a new adventure. Everything was “simply mah-velous” or wonderful to her. She was inspired by all the beautiful things in the world and loved to travel. Everyone I know – and even people I don’t – adores my Nonnie.

Things aren’t the same anymore. Last Monday I took the train to Massachusetts to visit my mom and my Nonnie. Nonnie is sick with leukemia and she’s dying. For the past two weeks or so she’s been wonderfully assisted by hospice care, but for a long time my mom has been over there every day taking care of the little things: bathing her, assisting her when she needs to relieve herself, helping Grampie feed her and give her medicine. Mom has also been dealing with the many friends and relatives who wish to visit or call or send packages or whatever. It’s been a very difficult time for her and Grampie, and it really hits me when I go home. There are days when my grandmother seems well, and days when she is exhausted. She’s usually in pain, and she often can’t remember if one of her good friends visited her the day before.

I know that many of you have lost people you’ve cared about, but I don’t know how many of you have had to go through the long, drawn-out, painful process of watching someone die over a matter of days, months, years…whatever length of time. My friend Starr recently went through this, as she was her grandmother’s primary caregiver, but we’ve never really discussed it.

In any case, it’s been a very painful process even for me, as someone who doesn’t have to take care of all the everyday minutiae as Mom and Grampie do. I visited Nonnie on the Tuesday before Christmas, for a little over two hours. It was the first time I had been home in months. My grandmother used to be a fairly sizeable woman; she is now little more than a human skeleton. She can hardly even move on her own.

I brought her some Christmas presents she may never even get to enjoy – a Dr. Seuss book that my mom promised to read to her, and a box of chocolates so Nonnie could indulge a little. While I was there, we didn’t talk about anything important. Mom, Grampie and I just kept up a conversation so Nonnie would know we were there. It was a bad day; she was tired and in pain. I helped Mom give her some Morphine to help with that.

The most difficult thing for me was being left alone with her. It makes her so tired to talk, so the onus was on me to make conversation, but what do you do? I felt so helpless. There is nothing I can do that will make her any better. I don’t even know how to arrange her on the bed so she is most comfortable.

The best I could do was be there to show her I love her.

I guess in a way it makes me realize how important the holidays have always been to me. To be able to see all the friends and family I don’t always see due to time and distance – even if we don’t always like each other. To buy my loved ones little gifts, and remember their birthdays, and celebrate important events – I enjoy doing the small things to show that I love them.

This Christmas season I think I did a lot more than I intended, and I know that I am thankful for the time I was able to spend with family and friends. I seem to have enjoyed this season more than most and been truly rewarded with happy moments to remember for always.

So I thank you Mom, Grampie, Nonnie, Vincent, Grampie Trap, Danny, Corinne, Susan and Joe, Aunt Barbara and Uncle Jim, Vince Sr., Jane, Allie and friends, Aunt June and Uncle Tony, Cousins Bruno and Nick and Jimmy, Nicole and Christian, Grandmom and Grandpop, Ruth and Mitchell, Blake and Chad, Annie and Jerry, Uncle Kenny, Aunt Kathy, my other Aunty Kathy, Corinne, Jimmy, Tom, Garland, Jaeson, Lisa, Aaron, Eric, Starr and Kathryn… and anyone else who spent any time over the holidays with me.

It was a wonderful (if not busy) time and I love you all.

I quit.

Well, my official resignation date is 5 January 2003, but my last day in the office was last Friday. I am now officially a recovering Special Agent. I wonder if there’s a self-help group for people like me. Or perhaps I’ll turn into Ed Norton’s character in Fight Club and just attend all self-help groups, even for problems I don’t even have. Or perhaps not.

I would have written sooner and kept you abreast of the situation, but I have been kept rather busy these last few weeks, weekends, etc. Just recently I worked on the Queen of Spain’s detail in New York, the day after I returned from a family vacation in New Orleans. That cut right into my birthday celebration, or, to be more precise, erased it entirely. I had to celebrate two days late I’ll have you know!

Then I was detailed to the Former Vice Premier and Foreign Minister of the People’s Republic of China, after which I spent every waking moment closing out my cases and completing paperwork for my resignation.

Last Friday I walked out of the New York Field Office for the last time. It was rather exciting.

Then Katherine, Vince and I had a mini celebration that evening. The rest of the weekend was spent shopping with Vince Sr., Ruth, Mitchell, Mac, Jane, Bob, and our favorite Philly girl, Corinne. I’m still kicking myself for not buying a matching pair of hot pink galoshes to go with Corinne! We were out all day in a snowstorm and not once did I go back to the store to buy, buy, BUY as we consumers are taught to do. What on earth was I thinking???

So now I have the next two and a half weeks off to “enjoy” the holidays. Of course, I have already filled up my days to the brim, what with Christmas parties, family gatherings, random trips to the Shore for New Years, and the like. My new “job,” or rather, jobs, begin in January. Although do not let me mislead you – I am not getting paid. I’ve decided to take on two internships in the entertainment field, in the hopes that they will give me the credibility and experience to get a full-time paying job. One is primarily talent management, and the other is primarily production. However, both companies are incredibly small (about 4-6 employees each) so I will probably end up doing quite a bit and gaining oodles of experience! And of course, both have the potential to become paying jobs, if I prove myself to be the responsible, intelligent person that we all know that I am! So I have that going for me.

I’ve also gone through the first round of interviews for William Morris, which is one of the most widely recognized talent agencies. Apparently the interview process is a multi-stepped ordeal and, much like my past job, I am not supposed to stop my life just because they called. Each step is a competitive process. They’ve invited me to send in an updated resume after I begin at my internships. With any luck, this will lead to something as well!

So that’s the gist of my life right now. What a scary, exciting time it is!

Today while I was navigating Friendster, I got one of those forwards nobody likes to get but we all fill out when we’re bored, so I thought I’d share my responses with you (whether you want it or not):

1. WHAT IS YOUR MIDDLE NAME?
McLean

2. WHAT KIND OF PANTS ARE YOU WEARING AND WHAT COLOR?
Camel-colored corderoys with rivets running down the side; they're Vincent's favorite because he likes the way they hug my tushie...

3. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW?
Vincent ripping every last one of our CDs into MP3s. He has to listen to each song individually to make sure there are no skips. During Depeche Mode week I wanted to kill myself...

4. WHAT ARE THE LAST 4 DIGITS OF YOUR PHONE NUMBER?
What the f&#$? If you loved me, you'd already know.

5. WHAT WAS THE LAST THING YOU ATE?
Leftover Halloween candy. A Snickers Cruncher bar.

6. IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE?
Today, pink.

7. HOW IS THE WEATHER RIGHT NOW?
Completely uninspiring. And today was supposed to be the first day of the rest of my life...

8. LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE?
One of the most beautiful people I know, my friend Starr. Either that or this pregnant lady (two weeks til due date) I made cry yesterday when I told her she had committed a felony when she committed passport fraud. I don't remember which.

9. THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT THE OPPOSITE SEX?
Face. And if they're arrogant.

10. DO YOU LIKE THE PERSON WHO SENT YOU THIS?
Katy should be ashamed.

11. HOW ARE YOU TODAY?
Depressed. Who the heck asked for daylight savings time so we could all get out of work at the onset of darkness??!

12. FAVORITE DRINK?
Water and cammomile tea.

13. FAVORITE ALCOHOLIC DRINK?
I like my men like I like my alcohol: sweet and intoxicating. Therefore, Baileys on the rocks.

14. FAVORITE SPORTS?
In my fantasy-land, or in real life? Because I really think rock-climbing is the sport for me; I just haven't climbed a cliff yet (not the way you're supposed to anyway). In real life, I've dabbled in track & field, soccer, tae kwon do, hiking, volleyball... You name it, I've tried it. And just for the record, if we're playing football, two-hand touch is for weenies.

15. HAIR COLOR?
Brown.

16. EYE COLOR?
My dad says I'm so full of crap my eyes turned brown. But this also comes from the man who claims I have the most beautiful blue eyes he's ever seen...

17. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS?
Um, not if I want to see.

18. SIBLINGS AND THEIR AGES?
My one and only, Dan, 26. My mom also has two mutts she tells everyone are my sisters.

19. FAVORITE MONTH?
September/October - when the leaves are changing and the weather is rather consistent.

20. FAVORITE FOOD?
Anything my mom cooks. Nepalese / German / Irish / Italian fare. My own cooking. Vegetables. Fruits. Starches. I ABHOR fast food.

21. LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED?
In the theatre: Under the Tuscan Sun, Lost in Translation and Kill Bill are amongst the latest. Tonight I am going to see Matrix: Revolutions.

Rental: Adaptation, 8 Women

Sundance Film Channel: Spin the Bottle, Bartleby

I recommend all three I saw in the theatre and NOTHING, I repeat, NOTHING I rented or TIVOed.

22. FAVORITE DAY OF THE YEAR?
Thanksgiving, by far. Who isn't a fan of a holiday devoted entirely to eating too much, unbuttoning your pants, and watching your family wash the dishes as you slowly pass out...?

23. ARE YOU TOO SHY TO ASK SOMEONE OUT?
Thus far, I've asked out most of my men. Many people look at me like I've lost my marbles, but that's the way the cookie crumbles, folks.

24. DO YOU LIKE SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS?
Neither. I like depressing endings that are true to life and lend some sort of life lesson. But if I have to choose, I would go for happy endings as I don't take to being frightened very well. I was always scared of the dark as a child.

25. SUMMER OR WINTER?
Yes.

26. HUGS OR KISSES?
Big, old, snuggly hugs.

28. CHOCOLATE OR VANILLA?
Chocolate, but that's only because I hate vanilla even more than I hate chocolate.

29. DO YOU WANT YOUR FRIENDS TO WRITEBACK?
Yes, but the real question is, WILL THEY? (Reminder to all, I have a gun and I know where you live... )

30. WHO IS MOST LIKELY TO RESPOND?
Whoever is most bored at the moment. Like me right now.

31. WHO IS LEAST LIKELY TO RESPOND?
People who have a life.

32. WHAT BOOKS ARE YOU READING?
Harry Potter.

33. WHAT'S ON YOUR SCREEN SAVER/DESKTOP?
An orangish black abstract of a sky, I believe.

34. FAVORITE BOARD GAME?
Scrabble. Or Clue. Maybe even Life.

35. WHAT DID YOU DO LAST NIGHT?
Staid out late at work for something called Crim Night. Which basically means that we all stay up to midnight, scouring around the slumiest neighborhoods in New York, looking for some poor schmucks who lied on their passport applications. Really, it doesn't get any better than this...

36. FAVORITE SMELL
The hint of Autumn on the wind. A crackling fire. Hot apple cider. Laundry vents. Chlorinated swimming pools. Baby powder. Thanksgiving.

37. WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU THINK OF WHEN YOU WAKE UP IN THE MORNING?
Chi-chi, you're a 23-pound cat and you're not starving so shut the fah-zuck up!!!

I had the talk. You know, the “TALK.” I told my supervisor I plan on leaving DS. The good news? He took it well – better than I ever expected. He told me to go ahead and keep working in the New York office for the salary and benefits, and if I need to go to an interview, just let him know. He gave me that whole, “You need to do what makes you happy” speech. Well, he actually sounded more like Vincent when he said to me, “A job is just something you do for money. You put in your hours and you go home. When the job starts taking away from your life at home, then maybe you need to consider changing careers.” So that was that. I am still working at DS, but I am actively seeking other employment. Now if I could only find the time to send out that pesky resume…

In other news, I spent two weekends away from home since last I wrote. I’ve been to Philadelphia and the Poconos. Philly was an action-packed adventure, as always, with my lovely Corinne, Jimmy and Tom making sure there was never a dull moment! I saw dentists and doctors, tailors and sushi chefs, bartenders and hangovers, Sabrina’s and Bump, one senator and gay boys galore… It was an eventful three days and I was sorry to see it pass. I miss my Philly trio already!!!

As for the Poconos, it was a quiet time at the Balloon Festival in Shawnee. I got to see about twenty hot air balloons take off into the clear blue skies, and was even invited to join a balloon rescue team (which basically takes their van and chases down their balloon so they can pick the occupants up when the thing floats out of the sky). I ate sinfully delicious home-cooked meals cooked by our friend Marty at our favorite B&B, The Brookview Manor, and tracked down a god-awful flea market. And as per usual, I grabbed my Vincent and dragged him out into the woods, where I forced him on a half-day march to a hidden waterfall in the woods behind the B&B. It was wonderful.

Of course, my pleasantries were cut short when I realized I had to be in Burlington, New Jersey for training at Fort Dix on Sunday night. I have just returned from four days of shooting paper targets with both simunition rounds and hollow point bullets. I even requalified on my pistol. What joy. Watch me do somersaults and flips. Wheeeeeeeeeeeeee…..

So, there you are. A relatively short blurb on me and my life.

Today was a nice day. Vincent and I played hookey to go see a live viewing of The View, some sort of pro-woman talk show that I’ve never seen before. Today’s guests were Darryl Hannah and Kevin Bacon. What got me out of bed this morning was the prospect of seeing Quentin Tarantino, but he failed to show at the last minute and Darryl stood in for him instead. However, I was rewarded kindly for my loss, and the show gave me a free copy of the deluxe edition of The Lion King DVD, which just came out today. There is nothing like an unexpected gift to bring on a smile.

Then I got to buy a new leather purse as my lovely kitty, Daisy, peed all over my Ralph Lauren bag two nights ago. That just goes to show you that Ryan really shouldn’t buy expensive, name-brand things. Oh, how I will miss it!

Today I also decided that I have a love-hate relationship with New York City. Vincent and I have decided to definitely stay here at least until our lease runs out on the apartment (February 2005), so don’t start freaking out, Starr! But there are many things that I don’t like about this city. For one, there are too many choices. I know that a lot of people are thinking, what in the h-e-double hockey sticks is Ryan talking about?!!?! But seriously, think about it. No restaurant really lasts here so by the time you find some place you like, it’s already boarding up it’s doors and closing shop. I don’t really have the time to research every new restaurant, Broadway show, and nightclub. And then, because everything is so expensive here, I don’t want to end up wasting my money on something that is sub-par only to find out later that there was something incredible that I missed! I always feel out of the loop here.

And then there’s the issue of driving. New York drivers are far and away the WORST drivers on the planet! They are constantly breaking as if it’s going out of style! I am convinced that if there was one New York driver on a lonely stretch of road, they would still be slamming on their breaks out of habit.

The cabbies here also have this annoying habit of riding over two lanes so they can decide at any time to take one or the other. Which is great for them, but really sucky for the likes of me who is simply trying to pass the little bugger!

And don’t even get me started on the gypsy cabs!

Of course, there’s always the pedestrians. I honestly think they need to time each light to have three settings: one light turns green for one direction of traffic, then one light turns green for another lane of traffic, and finally one white walk sign lights up for the pedestrians while all traffic stops. This way, if you find a pedestrian crossing on the red “Do Not Walk” sign, you are completely free to run them down like the annoying little mucus-eaters they are! As a driver, I HATE pedestrians!!! (Amusingly enough, my ONE key ring says, “So many pedestrians, so little time!” – and this was given to me by my dear friend Joanna in high school, shortly after I got my license.)

When you get to my neighborhood, there’s also the problem of finding somewhere to shop. If I wanted to dress like an overcharged hoochie or eat at McDonalds, then this would be the place to be. As I do not, the only stores I frequent are CVS and the Thayer Cleaners (dry cleaning) – they actually have excellent service and offer me something I need. The people in these shops even remember my name… it’s a beautiful thing. In our neighborhood, I also like the little diner called “Restaurant” that is located right down the street from our apartment. I get my traditional weekend breakfast there for a damn decent price.

For everything else, I must venture downtown. And that takes forever. Despite the fact that we live a half block from the A Express Train (which, if you’re not a New Yorker and need some explaining, is an incredibly GOOD thing), it still takes about an hour to get anywhere in town. Of course, there is always the car, but I’ve already mentioned my driving woes – to which you can add car accidents, construction crews, and the astronomical price of parking garages.

So there you have it: all the reasons why Ryan hates New York. And why, you ask, does Ryan love New York?

Since you asked, I will tell you. I love New York because I live in a 3-bedroom, 2-bath apartment in the most exciting city in the world! I can see Broadway, go shopping, take in a concert, eat out – and never do anything twice! The world is at my fingertips. It is simply amazing.

We are also closer now to our friends Mark and Toni, Starr and Kathryn, Dara and Mark… and after being away from them so long, it is a wonderful thing to make plans for an evening that don’t have to include a birthday or major holiday…

Oh crappola, I lost my train of thought – Vince came in with today’s mail and I couldn’t resist going through everything! I noticed that none of you sent me a letter today…

In the past few weeks I’ve stored up a lot of memories that I need to get out before I forget all about them! You see, I find as I’m aging I am showing signs of growing up to be like my mother insofar as I seem to be losing my mind… and by that I mean that my short and long term memory seems to be failing me more than it used to. There are hints of a moment in time and trails of thought that lead nowhere. So consider this Blog preservation for posterity’s sake!

Well, I met the Dalai Lama a couple weeks ago. And I have a story. Right before the U.N. General Assembly and all that chaos was to begin, the Dalai Lama was in town, giving his teachings and making his visits. His protective detail was orchestrated by none other than the U.S. Department of State Diplomatic Security Service (say that three times fast!). So, when he toured in New York City, they called on some of us schmucks to help pre-post some of the bigger events. Pre-posting is just what it sounds like: before an event, you post a site with people to control crowds and keep everything in check. Well, one day I was pre-posting at the lecture series at the Beacon Theatre. Myself and four other guys were sent to post the lunch site (which happened to just be upstairs in the Beacon Hotel) – lucky for me, I was put in charge of the schedule and post assignments (bet the boys loved that one!!!). In any case, there were four posts: 1. downstairs at the elevator bank, 2. upstairs by the elevator bank, 3. upstairs by the food preparation room, and 4. upstairs by the Lama’s room. At the point that the DL was coming upstairs to eat, I was talking with the guy upstairs by the elevator bank. Well, to get to his room the DL would have to exit the elevators to the left, take a left, followed by another left and continue down the hallway to his room. At the first left, you can also go right and there are three more rooms down that hallway. So Simon (one of my guys) stood right at that turn in the center of the hallway, essentially blocking anyone’s path in that direction. His back was to the elevators. I stood right at his back, against the wall and facing the elevators. When the Dalai Lama got off the elevator, there were two men in his party who walked out before him. Both of them got out of the elevator and turned left. Well, the DL stepped out, locked eyes with me, and instead of turning left and following his colleagues, he turned right into Simon! Needless to say, Simon was a bit surprised, having not seen that one coming at all. And I had to stifle a smile as I extended my arm in the other direction and said, “This way, your holiness.” Well, the DL wasn’t even remotely flustered and he grabbed my arm in a gentle death grip kind of way and just grinned.

After we saw him safely to his room, we decided that flesh on flesh contact with the DL was good enough for a blessing of five years, while flesh to cloth contact was only good for about two. So far, I was ahead.

When the Lama came out of his room to return to the Theatre, he did it again! First he stopped and spoke to these two random women who somehow got rooms on the same floor – one of them burst into tears as soon as he touched her! (I swear, the Dalai Lama is like a rock star in that way!) Then I was standing there again, pointing him in the right direction and he grabbed my arm and just held it for a moment, staring into my eyes and smiling. So, according to my and Simon’s theory, I’m good for another 10 years or so! Next thing you know, I’ll be blessing YOU guys!!!

So enough of that foolishness. You can now officially say that your friend/child/random acquaintance/lover Ryan is a totally ridiculous personality with enough randomness in her life that she jokes about the Dalai Lama.

While the Dalai Lama was in the Theatre, I called my mom. My mom and San (that’s my stepdad) had just seen the DL in Boston when he was lecturing there. So I wanted to call and let them know of my good fortune in getting stuck on his protective detail. They were awfully excited so I told them all about how I’d like to take one of the monks (there were about 50 of them on stage with the Lama at this event) home with me and keep him for the good karma. I had mentioned this to Simon and he regarded me as a total freak after that, but I knew my mom would understand (she always does – that’s what mom’s are for). There is just something about all those monks that really marks them as different, and I’m not talking about their clothes or the Birkenstocks. There’s an inner peace they just exude, especially the older ones. And the Lama tops them all. Boy, would I love to take him home!!! It would be so nice to have someone around all the time who exudes gentle kindness at all times. That must be terribly relaxing… Needless to say, anyone reading my Blog at this point couldn’t possibly understand what I’m trying to convey unless you’ve actually seen the Lama. Had I not met the Lama, I would be regarding myself as a total fruitcake right now…

On to the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA)! I can honestly say that in my lifetime, I hope to never have to do something like this again!!! It has been more than a week since my protectee left, and I still feel drained. But let’s start at the beginning, shall we?

I returned from my forty days with the Secretary’s Detail (another experience I hope never to relive) just in time to begin my work as an advance agent for South Korea’s Foreign Minister Yoon Young Kwan. I took one day off to go rub shoulders with “the Lama” (I often say that in my head much like you would say “the Dude” to Jeff Bridges in The Big Lebowski) but the rest of my time was spent scouting locations, writing site surveys, and preparing things for a detail of six people, none of which are from the New York area. Let’s just say that most of my days prior to the Foreign Minister’s arrival began early and ended very, very, VERY MUCH past my bedtime.

Well, my detail began on Sunday, September 21. FM Kwan’s plane landed and we were off! I had some excellent people on my detail, including two NYPD detectives, an ATF guy, a U.S. Marshal’s Service guy, two guys from the Miami Field Office, and our Shift Leader, a guy out of the Chicago Field Office. The only kink in our plans was the Agent-In-Charge (AIC), this guy out of the New Orleans Resident Office.

At first I thought the AIC didn’t like me, and then I realized that he actually HATED me. By the middle of the week he was telling my detail that I am incompetent and he was telling me how to put one foot in front of the other. Every time I did something, he had something critical to say. And it wasn’t in that nice, constructive criticism kind of way. It was more of “I’m right, you’re wrong, so just accept it” kind of way. By Wednesday I was ready to punch the guy every time I saw him. So we became like Clark Kent and Superman – never in the same room at the same time. If he was coming, I was going – and vice versa.

Unfortunately, the rest of my detail had to deal with him instead. He was incredibly disrespectful to my entire team and I was impressed with the professionalism my type-A personality guys were able to put forth when dealing with him.

Lucky for us, nobody outside our detail ever knew of our problems within. My contacts at the Republic of Korea Mission/Consulate were extremely pleased with our level of protection and often bought our detail lunch or dinner when we were out. Once, the manager of the restaurant even paid for our meal!

In the end, our detail was one of the smoothest running details at UNGA. Many of us became friends and we all were united against the AIC. At the wheels up party (it’s called wheels up, because the protectee is no longer under our protection once “wheels up” for the airplane has been called), we even drank a toast to our AIC – to not having him there, that is!

For those of you in the NYC area, I highly suggest the wine bar/restaurant we went to that evening: Vin, at the corner of Northern Blvd and 163rd in Queens. The food is excellent and wine is superb! I’m not sure about the cost since our NYPD guy arranged the whole affair (the owner is a friend of his family) and the owner picked up our tab, but I am sure it is comparable to some of your moderately priced New York eateries.

After a while, we moved our party to downtown Manhattan and the Lit Lounge, where Vince and I were meeting up with friends for the evening. My detail guys came and they staid until the 6’6” ATF guy over-consumed and vomited on the floor. Which was alright with me because, as I’ve mentioned in other Blogs, there is only so much of my true personality that these cop boys can handle. And I was READY to PARTY! All our NYC crowd was there: Starr, Dara, Mark, Brandy, Michael, Katherine… let’s just say the party ended around noon on Sunday, when a fairly hungover Ryan was escorted home in a red Maxima chariot by her knight in shining armor, Vincent. Many thanks to all who were there…

During all this UNGA craziness, Vincent also decided to initiate me to this new thing called Friendster. If you haven’t tried it out yet, I think you should – especially now, while you still don’t have to pay for the service. It’s more addictive than crack and all you’re doing is trying to increase your number of friends. Looking at what I wrote, I wouldn’t be interested in the service either, but I think you should go ahead and at least check it out. You never know. When we were at the Lit Lounge last Saturday (the 27th), I added the bartender to my growing list of friends as I ordered another drink and he asked, “Are you on Friendster?” So I grabbed his email address and I am now connected to over 100,000 people! I think I will eventually grow tired of it, but for now you can find me there at least once every couple of days. (Go to www.friendster.com)

Well, now it’s back to that job thing. I was wondering if any of you guys knew people in any of the following fields: music, publishing, television, radio, movies – basically, a lot of the visual and audio arts. I think my next direction may be to try and find a job as an assistant of sorts (or work my way up to that). And if any of you know someone I should know, then I would love it if you could act as a conduit and pass my resume on up the line. Or, if you have any suggestions for jobs, I’m all ears (and no Andrew, I do NOT want to be a trash collector). Just let me know.

Other things I’ve done lately:
1. I went to a taping of the Late Night with Conan O’Brien show. I haven’t had a moment to watch the actual show yet, but it is highly probable that Vince and I were on t.v.
2. Vince and I went out to dinner and a broadway show on Friday: Tao and Nine. Tao is this Asian inspired restaurant that looks an awful lot like Buddhakhan in Philadelphia. The décor is fabulous, but the food is so-so – I will not be back for a return performance. And then Nine is this show with Antonio Banderas, Mary Stuart Masterson and Jane Krakowski (from Ally McBeal). I enjoyed it a lot – there were many great performances, and Antonio can really sing. Nine was a solid dramatic piece.
3. Last night (Saturday) Vince and I attended our friend Toni’s play in Greenwich, CT. She plays Julia in Agatha Christie’s “A Murder Is Announced.” She was fabulous and I would have told her so immediately had she not run off and disappeared so quickly! We finally caught her in the parking lot outside of her home, pizza and car keys in her hands. Then we invited ourselves in and spent some quality time with her, her hubby Mark, and Leo (their new kitty!). After all this time apart, it was nice to catch up.
4. I now suffer from a head cold. Pure misery.

Alright guys, I am winding down…The exhaustion that comes with being sick is catching up with me and I want to stop writing so I’ll just give you some teasers to look forward to in upcoming blogs:
• Philadelphia visit, October 11-13
• Poconos and hiking, October 17-19
• Da’ Momma and the Maize Maze in Massachusetts, October 25-27
• Punkin’ Chunkin’ (http://punkinchunkin.com), November 2
• New Orleans with Mom and Joe, November 12-15
• Eagles game, November 23
• Thanksgiving and mom visits NYC!, November 26-29
What fun!!!

Okay, I’m leaving you now. I’ll see you next time. Same bat time, same bat place, same bat channel…