Not Tonight's Planned Post.

I had a certain idea about something I wanted to write about. It's actually kind of fun, and I'll still do it one of these nights, but I need to get an earlier start than I am tonight.

There've been a couple of untimely deaths in circles I travel in of late. Both people in their 40's, an age far younger than that at which you'd expect the body to give way that completely. The first was a close relative of one of my new clubmates at Sebago - all of the sudden one day he couldn't go on one of our Breezy Point trips because this had happened. The next one, last week I think, was a guy I knew, although not as well as a lot of people I know did. He was a very active & popular local paddler around here, nice guy, tended to write some very good posts on NYCKayaker. He'd joined Sebago recently too, we'd talked about it after I'd sent him a back-channel compliment on something he'd written about the Hudson River Park access business, it was one of the best-worded posts I think I saw on the topic - he asked me if I'd joined Sebago, as he'd heard. I was looking forward to doing some club paddles with him.

He lived what sounds like a good life, though - had good friends, did a lot of what he loved, spent some time in beautiful places.

Then tonight, just before I left work, I decided to take a look over at Rivertyde, one of my longtime favorite blogs, and found myself reading Michlt's account of his perfectly healthy, strong, 48-year old partner's stroke. He's recovering now. But still. Makes you think.

Anyways, it had rained all day today, but I walked out of the office, at the reasonably decent hour of 7:15, and into an absolutely beautiful night. Clearly a night meant for a walk across the Manhattan Bridge, not a night to ride in a hole in the ground.

So instead of catching the express train home, I stopped at a Korean place I like, had a good dinner, and then had a lovely walk across the East River.

May've even sang a little while I walked. Most people don't think beyond the subway this time of year, and I always sing best where no one can hear me. Just random stuff...

I guess the moral of this story is - when you get handed an unexpected mid-December walk-across-the-bridge night - and your plans will allow it - go walk across the bridge.