NOT a Cry for Help. I repeat. NOT a Cry for Help.

The adventures never cease in the Big Apple!

I spent four hours at the Mt. Sinai Emergency Room on the Upper East Side (UES) last night with my good friend Gary in tow. Unfortunately, I chopped my finger trying to get a bag of goodies I had bought from BedBath&Beyond open and I knew I had to head to the ER.

Four hours and more friends later, Gary and I walked home with me the lucky recipient of two stunning sutures (and yes, I used the word suture in honor of friends Chris, Casey and Daniela):

The perp and its victim.

There are a few key things I learned from my experience last night -- key to my future survival in NYC:

1. Do not sustain a life-threatening injury here. You will die.
2. NYC is all about customer service! I had two RNs, two Residents and one Doctor to treat my wound. What care!!
3. There are still people in the world who type with their index finger: my father and the Triage Nurse to name two. Granted, she was enjoying well-done, spicy chicken wings with extra blue cheese dressing in the other...
4. Any bodily cut in Manhattan requires the following line of questioning: "Have you ever had bouts of depression? Were you trying to hurt yourself? Is this a cry for help?"
5. Who says there's no such thing as a free lunch? I got like six (6) free band-aids last night! That's right. SIX!
6. Gary Little is a SuperTrooper for joining me on The E.R. Adventure last night. Unfortunately, he thinks it a crazy dream sequence.

All this is to say that I've not even been here 40 hours and already I've had a celebrity sighting and a visit to the E.R. I mean, come on! Who gets this life?!?! I'm one lucky man!

I suppose I should address #4 above, however, as I'm sure you're wondering. Answering all three is too personal, but I will tell you this: no cry for help! At least not today! Today is a kitchen stock and TV purchase day. That's right, I'm going shopping again! WOO HOO!

This actually comes on the heels of the news that my former company, Allrecipes.com, announced their acquisition by Reader's Digest yesterday for $66MM. Rumor has it that current shareholders will be paid out $1.08/share as AR becomes a part of the RD public family. This means I stand to make a pretty penny on the stocks I bought for $81.23 in October 2003! So, that windfall and my taxes -- which I still need to do -- mean positive cash flow for a city that's butt expensive.

Me shopping for a TV with an incredibly relevant and timely ad.

See, that said, now why would I go try to chop off my finger?

And the answer is not to be like Mike. :o)

Happy Weekend!!!