Battle of the Reds

Tomorrow is one of the biggest football games of the season, as many of you know. Of course I'm talking about the Manchester United vs. Liverpool game at Old Trafford stadium in Manchester. I consider myself to be a pretty serious football fan, especially Liverpool, and this is perhaps the pinnacle of the season. I have been amped about this game all week, reading up everything I can and trying to find out where I should go to watch it, since it's pay-per-view. Luckily, being in NYC, I have the problem of choosing which venue to go to to watch it, since we have a plethora of options, including one close to my house, err.....studio apartment. I stopped at the local soccer fan gear shop and oogled over possibly buying a Liverpool Champion's League jersey (the one I like ooohhhh soooo muuuuch) and shot the breeze with the African working in the store about the state of affairs in the Premier League before finally deciding I didn't really need an $80 jersey to demonstrate my love of the team when a scarf would suffice. We'll see what the insurance company says about how much the surgery is going to cost me before I fork out that kind of money for a novelty item.

As I've stated before, my social life has come to a crawling halt because of the mess with my teeth. So, what better way to fit in than to spend a Sunday morning with a bunch of people with teeth like mine - the British? I think I may have found "my people" to spend time with now while my teeth improve and their teeth continue to deteriorate ;o). I even found out where the Liverpool Supporters Club (NYC Division) meet to watch games. I hope I can sleep tonight!!

A few months back I signed up to be a volunteer leader for NY Cares, a volunteer organization. I've been waiting months for an opportunity to lead a children's recreational project and one finally appeared on the list. To make it even better, it's located in East Harlem, which is pretty much where I live! So it could be just a bus or a few subway stops away, perfecto. So look for future stories about that....

Yes, the email that you received from Plaxo about updating your address and phone numbers for me is legit! I am using this online service to keep track of phone numbers, addresses, birthdays, etc., so please fill it out and submit it!

Yesterday I found out that since I "work at" the large bank that pays my employer (well, I have a badge anyway!), I, and up to four guests, can get free admission to most of the famous museums in the city. So today Alan and I went to the New York Historical Society museum to see what they had going on. Most of the items they had were kind of boring, but on the first floor they had their special exhibit, which was about slavery in New York. It was very interesting and captivating despite the throngs of people crowding the isles and blocking my view of stories and historical descriptions of the time. The museum is focusing on slavery for the next year or so, so buy your plane tickets now if you want to come see it. At least the entrance fee is free....

J. Riley, You'll Never Walk Alone!