In an old house in Paris that was covered in vines, lived twelve little girls in two straight lines ...

I'm 22 years old, bordering on 23, and I have an instinctive feeling that the rest of my life will set itself on auto-drive; and one day before I know it, it'll all be over.

This may sound like some sort of dark premonition or a premature mid-life crisis; but that's not what I think is going on. I'm having flash backs while doing the most mundane things - heating up food in my microwave, walking home from the train station, separating whites from colors while doing laundry; these flashbacks of my childhood are popping in and out of my head, one after another. I remember smells, I remember images, I remember the names of places and people more vividly than I can remember what I did last Friday night.

And there's one place in particular that just wont leave me alone. It's an old house in Paris that was covered in vines, where lived twelve little girls in two straight lines. I spent most of my childhood in the LAPL, and my closest friends went by the names Clifford and Madeline. Clifford being a ridiculously big and red dog, and Madeline being a little red-headed girl that went to a Catholic girl's school in Paris. My favorite children's book is Pat Hutchinson's "The Doorbell Rang" - where "Ma" is also a red-head. This takes me to the first adult novel I ever read, The Shining, by Stephen King - Red Rum anyone? I've just realized the significance of the color RED in my first experiences with learning to read, while doing my laundry.

Now, more about Madeline. I'm also writing this while watching Anthony Bourdain's episode on New York. By pure coincidence Mr. Bourdain is visiting Bemelman's Bar at the Carlyle, named after none other than Ludwig Bemelman. Here's what the hotel's website says about the bar:

Best remembered as the creator of the classic Madeline books for children, Ludwig Bemelmans once joked he'd like his tombstone to read: "Tell Them It Was Wonderful." Well, wonderful it was, and still is, at Bemelmans Bar. Named in honor of the legendary artist, Bemelmans is a timeless New York watering hole that has drawn socialites, politicians, movie stars and moguls for more than five decades.

The Carlyle was the city's premier luxury residential hotel and served as second home to socialites, politicians and movie stars when Ludwig Bemelmans was commissioned to paint large-scale murals in the hotel bar. The creator of the enormously popular Madeline children's book series as well as a successful artist working for The New Yorker, Vogue and Town and Country, Bemelmans transformed the bar with clever, whimsical scenes of Central Park (including picnicking rabbits). Instead of being paid for the art, Bemelmans exchanged his work for a year and a half of accommodations at The Carlyle for himself and his family.

For those of you living in New York, or just passing though, please be sure to check this bar out. Where else are you going to find art as precious and timeless as this.