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Oh, where do I begin? The beginning, a very good place to start. (Do Re Mi…)

As I said yesterday, Peter was hit on the head before we even got off the ground in Denver, and since we had been warned about the possible consequences of another hit on the head, I decided a call to his doctor was in order. Sure enough, they said to take him to the ER, so we finally found a place near us: Mount Sinai in Queens. (Don’t famous people always go to Mount Sinai? Pretty sure it’s not the one in Queens, but it still felt fancy!). Other than Peter feeling very out of it, the biggest bummer was that we couldn’t use the free tickets to Stomp my cousin had gotten for us (super bummed about that, but the trip only went up from there, at least!).

Thankfully my dad is the most devoted people watcher that ever existed, so he was relatively entertained by watching the varied stream of humanity contained in the small waiting room while Peter was seen (frankly, in record time. We were in and out in under 3 hours, I think, maybe more like 2). It was the night before 9/11, and he had a very profound conversation with a firefighter who lost his best friend that day. Inside the ER, I was amazed at the sheer number and variety of languages spoken. I mean, I knew New York and its boroughs were diverse, but it was something else to see it in action. The nurses speaking to each other in something similar to Spanish to, but not (maybe Tagalog mixed with some Spanish?), the people next to us speaking some kind of Middle Eastern language, possibly Lebanese, and honestly heaven only knows what else, plus all kinds of English accents and dialects. It was diverse enough that it felt weird when another white couple was placed in the other bed in the room.

Peter was feeling better by the time we left the ER, possibly simply due to the fact that we could turn off the lights in the room and it was relatively quiet in there. As soon as we stepped out onto the street, with all of its sirens, taxis honking, people walking everywhere, brightly lit signs, voices chattering in dozens of languages, and constant need for alertness, all of that newfound recovery evaporated relatively quickly. But, we made it back to the hotel and he was able to go right to sleep.

Bright and stinking early the next morning, we got up for my 7:30 AM appointment at Memorial Sloan-Kettering. Thankfully, I had gotten some really good advice from my friend Nicole, whose husband had life-saving treatment there a few years ago, and she told me “Be prepared to WAIT.” So if you have an appointment at MSKCC coming up, bring a book or something with you! The floor didn’t even open until 7:30, and I quickly realized this was different than my doctor’s visits. At 7:45ish, I was called in to register. After that, I was sent to my actual floor, where I filled out more paperwork and got to wait even longer. I think we were called in to the doctor’s office a little before 9:00, and once there, we didn’t have to wait long. I won’t rehash the appointment again, but we left feeling satisfied and happy to have a plan.

We all went back to the hotel in Long Island City, Queens (Home2 Suites, which is only 4 months old and a really great deal, if anyone is looking for a place in NYC that isn’t 2 arms and a leg. It is right on the N and Q lines, and it’s only 1 stop into Manhattan. Huge rooms and really friendly desk staff!). Peter stayed to sleep the rest of the day and my mom, dad, Emmie and I all went back into the city for some sightseeing, after grabbing some lunch at Dutch Kills Centraal, a really yummy restaurant right around the corner from our place.

Here we see my plates of roasted beet salad with pear & kohlrabi slaw, contrasted with Emmie’s plate of bacon and french fries. Something for everyone!

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As soon as Emmie got on the train, she immediately said “There’s no seat belts!” But other than that, she loved the trains. Taking the subway might have been her favorite part of NYC. I personally loved all of the beautiful tile work in the stations.

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And with that thrilling cliffhanger, I need to conclude today’s portion of the travelogue, as I am feeling so tired that I am getting dizzy. It is after midnight in New York, after all! (How long do you think I can use the time change as an excuse?). Here are some cute pictures of Emmie to hold you over until tomorrow, when I regale you with the captivating tale of… Emmie in the Lego Store! Emmie in the Plaza Hotel! Emmie at FAO Schwartz!

Will Emmie eat the chocolate macaron from Buchon Bakery? Come back tomorrow to find out!

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