A Week of Being Kin Lane - August 4th, 2025
We did not have a bike for most of the week. It was very sad. We had a part get lost in the mail. We quickly ordered a second one, but it took two more days to arrive. But as of Friday, we are back on the road. That is all that matters. The daily ride has become an essential part of Poppy’s day. And mine.
It was really hot this week in NYC. Most of the really hot days we weren’t out riding. We would do our morning walks, but without a rear wheel we weren’t out riding in the heat. It kind of worked out well to be honest. Once the part came and we were back on the road, the temperature and humidity had dropped.
I spent the extra time this week pushing forward work on my new startup Naftiko. We made critical progress. I can’t talk about much what happened yet, but it was a very good week. It feels good to have a focus. It feels good to have a partner to build something, rather than trying to do it all on your own.
We ate a Bánh mì sandwich from Saiguette on the Upper West Side this week. This sandwich is my second favorite sandwich of all time. Hamburgers are my favorite, but a pork Bánh mì from Saiguette is perfection. The meat. The sauce. The bread. Even dare I say — the cucumber. There are a lot of sandwiches I like, but Bánh mì is so very special.
I saw a Bluesky post from Darth this week that resembles what I’ve been feeling about people who have all the power right now. I think a lack of curiosity is what is at the heart of the rot that is spreading across the United States right now. A lack of curiosity is why AI seems like the answer to so many trapped in their privileged isolation.
There was a thought provoking article in the Smithsonian about the 1936 Bum Blockade, where California police would keep American migrants fleeing the midwest entering the state to try and find work. I think we have run out of space for people to migrate to in this country for some time now, and it is something that is coming to a head today.
We tried a new Mexican food place in Hell’s Kitchen this week. It was very good, but the burrito tasted like a taco. The ingredients were all very good, but I have a specific image of a Burrito in my head from California. Nonetheless I love trying new Latin cuisine in NYC, exploring variations on what I grew up with on the west coast.
It is August, and that means Summer Streets in NYC. They expanded it this year, opening up Park Avenue from Brooklyn Bridge up to 110th in Harlem, and over to Broadway. Audrey ran all the way up, but Poppy and I only made it over to Broadway. It was a lot of fun and Summer Streets should be the default every weekend in the summer.
After getting back on our daily ride we pulled over on the upper west side and cased the tennis courts. There were hundreds of tennis balls up against the inside of the fence—blowing Poppy’s mind. We managed to find a tennis ball that had made it’s way over the fence and was free to grab on the ground.
Audrey and I ended this week with a walk up the West End over to Amsterdam for Salt & Straw ice cream. I had Salted, Malted, Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough, Audrey had Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread, and Poppy had an apples and carrots Pup Cup, making for a lovely walk in the absolute perfect temperature on a Sunday evening in New York City.
Life is like an ice cream, enjoy it before it melts…