Cold Facts

I went to NYC to learn about homelessness. And learn I did. I'll spare you, lone reader, of all the gritty details and just give you a bullet summary of what went down. It seems that everything was cool about the trip except for the weather, which worked out great since I lost my winter jacket on the train ride to the City. I am such a responsible adult.

• Folks doing this thing called 'street to housing,' where advocates prowl the streets for homeless people and offer to help them get housing: Radically cool.

• Being recognized as a super slaw scooper by soup kitchen coordinator: Cool as whip.

• Actually knowing what homeless advocates are talking about because I'd read studied the matter: V. cool. Going out late at night to count the homeless population for a survey project with those same advocates: Even cooler.

• Being asked to explain why McDonald's is 'bad' by professor who taught me why: Not as cool as you'd think. Put on the spot to define 'hegemony?' Also not that cool.

• Catching ImprovEverywhere in action, hanging out with Band Kid (she is 3 years old and doesn't judge me for taking pictures of The Eyeball fighting with other toys- she finds them fascinating), meeting yet another Illustrious Alum Making a Difference, good cheesecake, holding hands and singing O Freedom with predominantly minority congregation: Cool, cool, cool, mm mm cool, and righteously cool.

• Riding a freaking Segway: So cool that it went right off the charts, back to uncool, the slid into cool again only to go off the chart twice more, before finally settling the dial back into ultra, uber, cool to the nth degree.

A separate entry on my grub crawl adventure with TChu, EAR, James the Giant Freshman, and Oy McCoyne through midtown to come. First, more judgement on food from Father.

Father: So you went to New York, saw some poor people, then went out for fun and spent all this money on food?

Moi: Mm hmm?

Father: Doesn't that make you feel guilty?

No, no it doesn't.