Two York City

Everything happens in threes elsewhere, but here it happens in twos. Two abandoned pacifiers on the streets of Tribeca, about a week apart. Two smashed pigeons on Thames street on the same day. Two times hearing Dolly Parton's Jolene, in two different bars last night. Two fatal crane accidents in the spring of 08. Two MTA workers killed on the track awhile back. And today, twice I needed things - specific things. First, I was on my way to meet a friend, Sunday Times in hand for the crossword, and realized I'd forgotten to grab a pen on my way out of the house. So I scanned the ground until I found a nice rollerball a block later, nearly unused and quite clean. Later, friend needed to mop his face after having raced to meet me in the oppressive heat, so I wandered into a corridor and found, inexplicably, a fresh stack of 2-ply cocktail napkins wedged next to a fire extinguisher.