First a wild morning walk in Prospect Park. It made me think of how empty it can be where I come from, so unlike busy Manhattan. Later, frolicking in Tompkins Square Park with 10-year-old Sylvie, who somehow cajoled me into going down a snowy slide. That reminded me of my father—younger than I am now—going down a slide in a playground in Dell Rapids. He flew off the end, injuring his tailbone & losing his cufflinks (! & that's everything you need to know about my dignified dad). We howled with laughter, & he was mad. I think we all still have a vivid picture in our heads of him sailing into the air. I was nervous, Sylvie said, "You're not your dad" & I was heartened by her amusement that I would compare myself to some old guy. Lucky for me there was a lot of snow on the ground to absorb me. I even went down again on another slide.