Went to New York. Work trips. They are not usually so fun. It’s an experience, to travel. But all experiences are not pleasant.

Work trips are…well…experiences.

I was interesting to swim like a fish through the masses of people in times square. It was interesting to see how they live and eat and get around.

It was interesting to drive by Queens. I was interesting to drink the coffee and try a cannolli.

But I didn’t really do anything fun. I drank a lot, because people there drink a lot. Well, the people I was with there drink a lot. Realize, a lot to me is a cocktail and a glass of wine.

I think one evening I had two cocktails and a glass of wine.

That was the evening I had fun. I got to go see The Village. Greenwich Village. THe one that is supposed to have it’s own style, counter culture creativity.

I went to a famous place:
CBGB’s

I guess a lot of counter-culture bands got to play there before they became THE counter culture bands. I missed the Smiths, The Ramones, Blondie and The Police the first time around.

I remember the Grunge movement. Which, when I say that, everyone thinks is Nirvana. But that’s not what I remember. I remember listening to the local college radio station, and hearing music like I’d never heard before. I remember bands with weird names like Lucy’s new Fur Coat. I remember going to a couple raves, and coffee shops where people wrapped embriodery threads around strands of hair. I remember wearing flannel shirts and my boyfriend’s torn jeans because I had nothing else to wear, and being cool because that was “alternative.”

I had trouble remembering who Nirvana was. But I loved the alternative scene. I often wondered what else was going on…Was alternative really alternative if it was the only happening? And there were categories of alternative…”Goth” and “Industrial” and “college”….

THAT is what I thought about when I went to CBGBs

Maybe it’s still alternative in the Village. Maybe it always will be.