Te Quiero

When do you say it? Anne Goldberg-Baldwin is writing me a piece, a phonetic riff on "Te quiero" (Spanish for I love you), for my new record. I don't know that I've ever said it, except to friends and family. I love people, have since I was 4 (I used to say hi to everyone in the grocery store, to my mom's chagrin). I'd make a good therapist, I think. I'm a listener. So is my partner Javi. We spent last night in lower Manhattan, dining in Chinatown (August Gathering, next to McDonalds on Canal, is phenomenal) and Soho (a cute French place on Lafayette, chocolate gelato and strong espresso). He doesn't know the city, really; he basically commutes from Long Island to Manhattan (Queens, often) and back. He's a freelance tattoo artist, has a chair in his room, and designs gorgeous digital things on a tablet with a program similar to Photoshop (but free). I'm going to get him to do a custom neck piece for me in October!

And so...when do we say it? On an anniversary, birthday, holiday?