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On the Road with Kevin
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Entry 5
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Lessons in Cruise Control-101. I’m beginning to get the sneaking suspicion that many people don’t know some of the fundamental rules of cruise control in their vehicles, or else they have yet to read the manual on how to properly use it. We all have our minor annoyances with the habits of other drivers, but for me this is a real doozy because it is actually quite simple to avoid … If you’re out on a highway or interstate without a lot of traffic, USE your cruise control. Push that little button on your dash and enjoy the comforts of a smooth, easy, paced ride that will bring you hours of worry-free, driving pleasure. Otherwise, what seems to invariably happen to numerous people for some crazy reason unbeknownst to me, is they speed up to 85 mph, then they slow down to 62, then they speed up again to 77, then, unbelievably, they slow down to somewhere near 66 once more.
 Then all of a sudden, just when you thought you had them pegged, they come flying by you at Chuck Yeager-like speeds and continue on their merry way. Which would all be fine and dandy, but because you’ve kept your speed constant with the aid of cruise control, you’ve just spent the last 45 minutes passing them, then they pass you, then you pass them again, then you see in your rearview mirror that they’re unfailingly moving over to the left lane to pass you for what seems like the 12th time now. I shouldn’t have to keep concerning myself with a car I just passed or vice-versa. Cruise control! It’s really the answer to most of life’s problems, people.
 On to The Big Apple. The drive from Boston to New York City was an awesome time and a veritable feast for the eyes, for mine at least. I drove along I-95 and passed by Foxboro, Providence, New Haven, and so on. I think Providence is in Rhode Island, if I remember correctly, as I saw the welcome sign to Rhode Island, blinked, noticed the outskirts of Providence, blinked again, and before I knew it I was already crossing the state border into Connecticut. Ok, maybe Rhode Island is not that small, but I was definitely surprised at the reduced stature of the state. Rhode Island, however, IS one of the most beautiful and enveloping places I have seen in quite some time, and Providence appeared to be her crown jewel. I have always imagined Providence to be a spectacular city for some reason, and the glorious visuals confirmed this for me. Spectacular steeples, steeples, steeples.
I was heading to Manhattan this day, and was slightly unsettled at the prospect of driving around in New York City of all places. I, along with most of you I’m sure, have heard all about the horrors of traffic and driving in one of the greatest and busiest cities in the entire world, so I braced myself for what might possibly lie ahead.
 I decided to follow the 10-and-2 position on the steering wheel for perhaps the only time in my life, and I made my way down the Hudson Parkway on the west side of New York City, the road that runs along the Hudson River separating New York from New Jersey. Of course since I was near Jersey for the first time, I could think of no one better to listen to than The Boss himself. I’ve been a casual appreciator of Springsteen’s for a long time, but The Rising is the first album of his I felt compelled I had to go out and purchase. I think it’s almost a must-have in this post-9/11 world we’re living in.
 It was quite possibly the most gorgeous day of the trip so far, and with the sun gleaming off the water, and the buildings reaching harmoniously for the sky, NYC felt much less threatening than I had previously thought. A friend of mine had given me directions to a particularly favorable parking garage, so I proceeded to find the structure as quickly as possible because I knew I just wanted to park my car and leave it there for my entire stay. As I made my way around, I kept waiting for the dreaded traffic to rear its ugly head. I kept waiting. And kept waiting. I quickly surmised much to my delight, though, that navigating the streets of Manhattan wasn’t NEARLY as difficult as I had envisioned. All the streets run perpendicular to each other, and, wouldn’t you know it, they’re numbered logically and actually make sense! Nay be to those who had given me such fear and trepidation!
 Has anyone seen Richard Clark? I was meeting the first gal in NYC this night, “Ashley,” but after catching up on the phone we determined there were still a few hours to kill before it could work out. Therefore, I surveyed a map rather precariously and walked over to Times Square since it was very close by. Well, much to my chagrin, there wasn’t anything square about it in the least. Just kidding. Times Square is amazing, simply astonishing. It was crowded and congested for sure, but it wasn’t overwhelming by any means. It felt much more manageable than I expected from watching the countless New Year’s Eve celebrations on TV. And come on, where else can you see a naked cowboy playing his guitar, as well as Diane Sawyer at the Good Morning America studios? It is nirvana at it’s finest.
 Ashley wanted to meet at a place she often frequents that has “the best mango margarita,” according to her. This sounded like a superb idea to me since the mango is truly my favorite fruit of all-time. What can be more delicious than the sweet nectar of a mango? I dare say nothing. Now watching Letterman for years has convinced me that all the taxi drivers in NYC are some of the most maniacal, terrifying drivers you’ll ever want to come across. Well, after my first cab ride ordeal in NYC, I’d have to say Dave might just have his finger on something there. Bam! Zoom! Swipe. Start. Swerve! Stop! Brakes. Screech! Absolutely, unequivocally frightening. Why would you take the kids to Disneyland when you can just go for a ride in a NYC cab?
The place we were meeting is called Mama Mexico, or something like that. It might have been Mexico Mama. Or perchance, The Mama from Mexico. I just know it had a Mama and a Mexico in there somewhere … At least I think so. Ashley’s personality seemed really interesting to me from our assorted emails and phone calls. She is an avid athlete (even playing tennis), without being too extreme, and also craves and loves many of the tantalizing aspects of Italy, which I do as well. It’s certainly my favorite country I’ve ever been to. In addition, she just seemed to have a very genuine warmth about her and displayed a caring sense of humor.
I arrived at the restaurant first and sat down to wait for her. She came through the door with a bright smile and carried herself in a rather pleasant, cheerful manner. I’m not a big fan of blind dates, as I feel you don’t even really know anything about the other person, and it’s hard enough just to recognize the person you’re trying to meet. That’s why the whole experience of this trip up to this point has been vastly more comfortable, at least from my perspective, because I already know a good deal about the other person and we’re instantly recognizable to each other … Each side already knows what the other looks like, and (hopefully) there are no hidden surprises.
 Mango Memories. Ashley and I gave each other a quick hug and hello, and I ordered my first madcap, magnificent, mango margarita. Hey, there’s nothing wrong with a little absurdly abundant alliteration every now and then! She was dressed really sharp, and is around six inches shorter than I am with light brunette hair. She just had a cool presence about her and we had a good time getting to know each other more. Ashley is involved with social work and the elderly as well, so she has that compassionate part of her personality. But she’s also fun and seems like she enjoys a fair amount of frivolity too (sorry, that alliteration wasn’t on purpose). Did I mention the drink was excellent?! See, mangoes aren’t just for Kramer on Seinfeld.
We strolled the streets of the Upper West Side and just kind of took in all that part of the city has to offer. I was really digging the conversation and the vibe of NYC in general, and was actually amazed at how the city could have so much energy yet feel contained and amiable. Ashley and I headed to another sweet spot to hang out some more. We talked about trying to hook up again over the next day or so and just sort of take things from there. She mentioned, though, how I had unfortunately caught her at a pretty busy time and she had other good friends in town as well she was frantically trying to accommodate. She had even heavily moved her schedule around on this night just to be able see me, so we determined it best to play it be ear. I think we both would like to make it happen if we could, however.
 Well, since my parked vehicle seemed to be at one end of the city, and I was already near my hotel at the other end, I disappeared into the darkness to grab some rest for the night. What a tangled web fraught with danger and alarm this mysterious city unleashes on all those who dare enter her unpolished gates. Ohh, I’m just playing around … I don’t even know what that sentence means. I honestly felt quite safe, and was anxious to get a little shuteye in The City that Never Sleeps. Hanging out with Ross, Phoebe, and the gang at Central Perk would just have to wait till another time. Ciao for now!
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