Why does inspiration strike so late for some?  And by late, I don’t mean being 80 and having your “blow-the-whole-game-wide-open” break through idea, I mean late in the day.  Or as most people call it, morning.  Without fail, the moment I lay my head on that pillow, I think of three things I meant to ask or say to various people in my life, 5 things I needs to and want to do tomorrow, and blog posts and lectures just come pouring into my head the way I’ve heard songs come to songwriters.  What am I supposed to do then?  Do I stop what is surely my brain’s way of unloading so i can get some restorative sleep to cram more things in there tomorrow so i can try to grab hold on something, or do I hope and pray that I remember something tomorrow and will myself to sleep?  Inevitably, I do the latter; the idea of getting up is less than appealing for this sleepaholic.

Last night’s continual thought was “Man, I can’t believe how good it feels too blog again!” and “What should I write about for my next one??”  I woke up and that theme was still with me.  I figure if something is still floating in my brain the next day, it must be worth remembering or acting upon.  And the more I thought about content, the more i became overwhelmed with the many, many stories I have yet to tell you about my adventures this year.  My trip to the Astoria Historical Society where my friend Bob told me stories I’d never heard about this place I love.  Or my fantastic evening at Cafe Ole and what it really means to be ‘family run’.  You should make a reservation there for a date night, btw, but only if you love great food, fresh cocktails, excellent service and the feeling like you’re not in NYC anymore.  It’s a place where cell phones never make it to the table.

For me, blogging is partially about the content, of course.  I’d hate to think i wasn’t contributing something at least positive or beneficial to the vast galaxy of the interwebs.  At the end of the day though, it’s about connection for me.  To feel like I’m connecting with souls that normally might be outside the reach of my life’s net that’s been cast.

The last few places I’ve visited have exemplified that connection and sense of mingling and intertwining red threads; The Let Love Inn, The Bonnie, and tomorrow Singlecut Beersmiths.  My return visit to The Let Love Inn made me two new friends, Walter and Jessica.  It started when Jessica passed me an open box of Girl Scout Samoas and said, “Would you like a cookie?  I’m giving them away for smiles.”  Good thing I wasn’t taking a sip of my drink (Dirty Brunette – bitter, refreshing, worth a try) or I may have spit it out!  I got all excited and said, That’s what I do!!  and told her the story of Single Girl Cookies.  She was amazed, loved the idea, told me she had just bought these cookies on the corner and thought, let’s share them at the bar – everybody likes cookies!  You can imagine the conversation ran from there.  Her boyfriend (I think), Walter, was a friendly guy and when i asked him his story, he told me how he ended up in Astoria, which included a degree from an upstate college.  One my bff graduated from and I had visited a few times.  Turns out they went to school together and he even knew some people from Penn Yan!  As big as this city is, any rando you pass on the street just may be your three-doors-down neighbor you never knew from your hometown.

They also told me about the Astoria Kickball Association.  “Whaaaa????”, you say?  Astoria had a kickball league??  For ADULTS???  Yes kids, it’s true!  I joined the Facebook group to get the info, and from what i can understand, they play pick up games in the park then grab drinks afterwards.  If that doesn’t sound like a best possible version of a Sunday afternoon, then I don’t want to know you.  😛

The Let Love Inn’s recommendation was their neighbor down the street, The Bonnie.  The Bonnie, as you may know, is the newest addition to a great group of restaurants all owned by the same group of folks (If i have my info right) – Wilfie & Nell, The Wren, The Penrose, Sweet Afton, and now The Bonnie.  Unsurprisingly, I had an equally entertaining and interesting evening at The Bonnie at I did at The Let Love Inn.  This time I decided to stay and have a drink and some fried pickles on my drop night, which I almost never do.  The staying on a drop night, not the fried pickles.  I always do the fried pickles 🙂

In the span of two hours, I met a woman who is starting a small business that promotes kindness, had a chat with the bartender Chris, who when I asked him his story, he said, “I’m an Irish bartender in New York.” and gave me a wry look that said, what else is there to say??  I also had a conversation with a young school psychologist that used to live in NYC but now work in New Hampshire.  Our topic (and his school platform): gender neutral bathrooms for transgender students.

And don’t even get me started on the thousands of characters and friends and brilliant people I’ve met at Singlecut Beersmiths over the years!  I’m really looking forward to heading there in a “professional capacity” tomorrow.  Who knows, maybe I’ll meet another potential new friend!  Well, I like to think of everyone as a potential new friend, hehe. I’m a glass half full kinda girl, what can I say?

As for my thoughts that bubble up at night and persist and nag until I do something about them?  They are there, in my brain, just waiting to be thought during the rest of my wakefulness.  Connection works that way too.  There are hundreds of possible connections out there, just waiting to be latched onto, the moment you decide to plug in to the rest of the world.  Take advantage of it.  Smile at that person on the subway, strike up a conversation with your elevator mate.  Connect.