Ready For Anything

Touched down EWR 5 p.m., driver waiting. The air felt cooler than I expected, the sky more blue, the city more magnificent in the evening light. It actually felt good to get home.

I unpacked, and immediately stepped out into Hell’s Kitchen, headphones blaring Ryan Adam’s “New York, New York.” Picked up “Hard Candy,” the new Counting Crows CD, at Tower. Then did my cals, and rode my Cannondale uptown to my brother’s apartment.

Zipping past cabs, busses and peds, through lights and traffic, I felt like I belonged, like I knew my way, like I was invincible. We ordered sushi which, I’m sorry to report, was far inferior (not surprigingly) to that on Kaua’i. But it was good to see him and his wife, their neighbor Dana, her boyfriend Joe askin’ me, “Hey, when’s your next show?”

Feels like community. Feels like home. Feels like I’m more in my skin than ever. More present than ever. Stronger than ever. Ready for anything.