My heart often resides at the Hotel Chelsea.

I'm reading a pretty good book right now. It's Legends of the Chelsea Hotel by Ed Hamilton. One day I'll find that letter to my dad from then Hotel Chelsea manager Stanley Bard that is in storage somewhere and I'll post it here. It was simply a letter confirming a reservation for our visit, nothing more special than that. In this day of extreme automation and confirmation numbers, however, it reads like a warm and thoughtful handshake, so personal and so interested in the human connection. He even mentioned me in the letter, typing something to the effect of, "I hope you and your son have a nice stay here."

Meanwhile, today's drama at the Hotel Chelsea continues. In short, Stanley Bard was forced out by the board in June, 2007. BD Management replaced him much to the protest of residents and loyalists. Just this week, BD was fired for "willful misconduct." What's next will undoubtedly be documented at Ed Hamilton's fantastic blog, Living with Legends: Hotel Chelsea Blog.