Jonathan is upstate with the car, so Ferdinand and I have been riding bikes to school. I would say it’s about just under 2 miles. The trick is, for a major chunk of the ride we go down Vernon Boulevard, which carries mac trucks, delivery trucks, city buses and your classic car on four wheels from one end of Queens to another, past a major power plant, stone cutter, salt pile up, under the 59th Street Bridge and then we make a quick turn through the heart of Long Island City and onto the school. Bike lanes are a recent addition to the streets of New York City, and most of the time, there is a buffer of about two feet between you and traffic. I appreciate the bike lanes, I would stand up in front of the mayor and give a shout out about the world is a better place because of bike lanes, but I am not putting my child on a bike in the street in New York City. The man at the bike store where I bought the helmet said, “It’s the law. Cars have to respect the bike lanes.” Let me just say something; what the Law is and what the Truth is, are two different things, and you can wish, hope, speak to and ticket according to the Law being the Truth. But I am going to keep my son on the sidewalk.
I just finished two cups of iced coffee, which gives me an enthusiastic edge on expressing my feelings.
Fill a moka pot (traditional Italian coffee pot that goes on the stovetop) with cold water, so that it comes right below the nut on the inside of the bottom of the pot. Drop in the metal coffee filter, and spoon espresso into the filter to a peak. Gently tap the coffee down with a spoon so that it is level with the top edge of the filter. Screw on the top, wait for the coffee to come through the spout, and as soon as the coffee starts to foam and spurt in a stutter, remove from the heat. Pour the hot coffee into a small cup and add sugar to taste (or skip this step.) Fill a glass with ice, pour whole milk over, about half way up, and then the espresso to the shade of coffee you prefer.