Ladies and Gentlemen – I have returned. Possibly you are asking “Were you gone?” but on the off chance that someone is asking themselves, “From where?” I shall tell you. I have been in the Northwest Corner area of CT, dog sitting while my parents gallivanted across the globe and then assisting the aforementioned parents in the acquisition of an additional dog.  Woof. And because everyone loves a dog picture, I present this:

But now I am back and ready to turn my attention back tp the matter at hand – the glories and goofs of Gotham. While I was up handing out dog treats and throwing sticks, I managed to keep an eye on things down this way – and even get my name (last name) in the paper. Yes, I posed a question in the latest round of “Taking Questions”, the City Room blog @ the New York Times and they chose my question. The topic at hand? Preserving New York’s Historic Districts. The questions were posed to Simeon Bankoff, the executive director of the Historic Districts Council.

In the interest of transparency (and because I think it’s neat when my friends are in the paper), I should point out that I went to college with Simeon so have known him since The Olde Days (which are like In Days of Yore but earlier). If you wander over to the City Room and check out the Preservation Q&A (and of course I think you should) – look for the second batch of selected questions & answers and mine is the one about the development of the Seaport.

In other New York news – I considered weighing in on the whole MTA fares thing while I was away but you know what? Even trying to decide where to start got me so annoyed and worked up that I decided to leave it until I calmed down. The disaster that is the MTA and shocking way it is handled are enough to send one screaming into the streets (and that might end up being the best way to get around town at this rate). So – later, I shall touch up it when I can do so without foaming at the mouth.