Visitors Here Verses the Suburbs

One difference when having company at your place in the city verses the suburbs is that you feel like you HAVE to have some special place to take them to eat that says, "I live here."

This place has to be a place that you "discovered" -- no tourists know about it yet, and only a few New Yorkers do. You have to have eaten there enough times to be recognized by the bartender who pours your drinks a little stronger than those of strangers.

In the city, you just want to prove to your visitors that you are not as stupid as you were when you moved here. Knowing one great place to eat in an obscure corner of town makes you look like you are at least trying. I'd better start looking for "my" restaurant. I have company coming.

You won't see this in Manhattan

I live in New York only part time. The rest of the time I'm still in the Midwest, and something happened today that you won't ever see in NYC. This adorable fawn had somehow found its way inside my fenced-in back yard and couldn't get back out. My neighbor alerted me to it when he was mowing his lawn. The little creature eventually managed to squeeze through two of the slats in the fence and head for the tree line separating my subdivision from another.

Later in the day, I was reading a book on my deck when I heard something behind me. It was the mama deer come to find her fawn! She had silently bounded over the fence and was standing about 15 feet away from me. This mama doe was not shy. She stood her ground as I slowly got up and approached her. She seemed to be accusing me of hiding her baby, she wasn't leaving without her. Minutes later she turned and hopped back over the fence but did not run away altogether. She lingered and made a grunting noise like she was calling for her fawn. Did you know deer produce sounds? I feel confident the two found each other considering the mother's courage and determination.

Private and Public Parks

One Saturday hubby and I were walking (and walking and walking and walking) around the Chelsea area when we came to this beautiful park enclosed by a lovely iron fence. But the gate was locked even though there were people inside reading, playing with their kids, etc. Apparently, they all had keys. . . keys to the park. This park was a private park accessible only to people who lived in that area or pay for access.

I guess in the city, you have to devise some way to entice renters to live in your building, so the landlords decide to offer a park that keeps you safe from "the public." I'm not sure what I think about this yet. Not something I have ever encountered in the Midwest.

By the way, here are some pictures from my recent visit to the Central Park Zoo which is open wide to the public.

You have to try the Macy's Fashion Consultant!

So my husband calls and says do I want to go to this benefit tomorrow night?

Off to Macy's!

After trying on 34 black dresses, I settle on one and head to the counter to purchase it. I asked the associate if there is a delivery service, and she says yes, but she needs to ask how to do it. She goes off briefly and comes back with Marcy.

Marcy is one of ten Macy's Fashion Consultants at the NY store. Apparently most Macy's have Fashion Consultants. Who knew? And I should have known! So I show her the dress and ask if she has an opinion about accessorizing it. (I love sales people with opinions. Really.) So she and I spend the next hour getting just the right necklace, earrings and handbag for it! A very nice service even if she does get commission on things I purchase. It saves me a lot of time, and I don't end up buying something that isn't right and never wear again.

She gave me her card and said to call her anytime I'm in the store. She even told me to use this private dressing room near her office when the store is busy.

This service is totally free!

To all my friends who like to shop with the help of someone with an opinion, you need to find this person at your local Macy's!

The Hudson River Pier

You can buy a ticket to circle Manhattan in this beautiful boat that was just coming in from a tour when I took this picture on the Hudson River. To the left of the tallest building is the Statue of Liberty.

Ask a Cop? No, push a button.

There are several NY City policemen throughout the subway stations. I have been so tempted to use them as information booths, but I have resisted because that's not their job. I have, however, discovered that there are these buttons you can push that gets you a real live subway smart person! You just say something like, "Uh, yeah, I want to go to so and so." And the human voice on the other end assures you that there is a way if you follow their instructions. If they would only provide someone to read you a bedtime story and tuck you in. . .

Evening in Bryant Park

There are plenty of chairs and little round tables on which to place your book, coffee or shopping bag at Bryant Park now that they have removed the ice skating rink. Here's a picture of the park just before sundown from its southwest corner. The building in the back is the Public Library. A fresh carpet of lush green grass (sod) has replaced the ice rink area, and it's really beautiful.

Also at at the southwest corner is a make-shift bar sponsored by Southwest Airlines. Do you think that was a coincidence?

Anywho, I digress. . .

Today I am humbled by the fact that if it were not for my brother, I would not be here living it up in the big city. He lives next to my mom and dad and takes care of both of them every single day from rewiring their telephones to joining them for coffee daily -- from upgrading Mom's computer to building her flower beds. He does this AND manages his own business.

The picture in this entry is of two things he loves, his beautiful wife, and a tractor that he refurbished inside and out! Not to mention that he has a son who just graduated with a perfect 4.0 in undergraduate med school.

A picture from the top of my building.

The top of my building has lounge chairs and tables to sit at plus a nice planted area with hydrangias and flowering bushes. Here's a picture I took yesterday -- do you see the Empire State Building in the background?

Nice Seat!

I have signed up to receive emails of discounted tickets to plays here in the city. Wednesday night I went to see Freud's Last Session, a two-person play about a meeting between C.S. Lewis and Dr. Freud. Here is a picture of the set which was said to look very much like Freud's office. I loved the play and had a great seat, as you can see. I was able to get this photo taken before the play began. By the way, did you know that in 2003, the city passed an ordinance that could land you a fine for using your cell phone during a performance? This announcement was made before the show, and I looked it up on my computer when I got home. You're not even allowed to have your cell phone on vibrate.

Starbucks is EVERYWHERE, but that's good.

Wednesday, I decided I would find a Goodwill donation spot to drop off the shopping bag full of clothes that Paul was getting rid of due to his weight loss. The weather had a chill to it, but it wasn't too cold for a good walk even though the clouds were low and rain was in the forecast.

I learned the closest Goodwill store was at 27th St. and 7th -- 4 1/2 miles away. It took me some time to convince myself I could walk far and do it before the rain hit, and so I set off with my umbrella just in case.

It's really funny that when you think about going from a numbered street to another numbered street, you think it will be easy. It's not like saying, "Oh, I think I will walk four and half miles today."

Of course, it started raining, just drizzling at first. Then it started getting a little colder and the wind picked up, so I put the bag down and fished out Paul's suit jacket and put it on. I must have passed 15 Statbucks and each time thought about stopping for coffee and to warm up, but I didn't want to stop walking until I was closer.

When I got 2 blocks from my destination, I was exhausted and gave in. I ducked into the busiest Starbucks in the world. There was NO seat anywhere! I got my coffee and a Rice Krispy Treat and went to lean up against the wall to dry off and get warm, still wearing Paul's huge suit jacket. About then, the rain turned into a downpour.

Turns out the reason it was so busy was that it was right across the street from the Fashion Institute of Technology and the students were getting out of class. So the people-watching was fun, and I fit right in with my oversized jacket.

Eventually someone sitting on a ledge near a window got up, and I grabbed his spot hoisting myself up and letting my legs dangle. Still not a table, but I got to take a load off my feet and finish my coffee. There were so many people there -- talking to each other and into their cell phones. I was glad I had found this particular Starbucks even if I had to stand for a while.

As a side note, I found and purchased an awesome leather handbag at the Goodwill store for $3. And, yes, I removed Paul's jacket and donated it, too.

Salt, pepper?

Here's an interesting way to serve salt and pepper.

What I Missed

Tuesday Paul called from work and said we had been invited to a benefit that evening. He didn't know what the benefit was for and he didn't know what to expect. But, I told him to go without me because I don't have any dress suitable for a "black tie" event in NY. Since he had to go anyway, I decided to book myself a ticket for a play while he was doing that. (More about that in another post.)

As I was headed home from the play, Paul called me and said, "Listen to this." Turns out he was in the presence of Aretha Franklin singing RESPECT at the 10th Anniversary Benefit of the Candies Foundation, an organization that helps reduce teenage pregnancy. Here is a list of the other stars who were there: Sarah Palin's daughter Bristol, Rhanna, Bruno Mars, ARETHA! Here's a pic from the internet of Aretha at this event. I need to get my little black dress and soon.

Central Park on Your Balcony

If you don't live close to a park with lots of trees and foliage, why not create one on your deck like this apartment owner did. There's no way that owner can see anything but green outside the window!

Don't Honk!

There are over 1,000 DON'T HONK signs in New York City. They cost $51 each and do almost nothing to stop the constant horn blowing and tapping that is everywhere here. I watched a tv news segment today that suggested meditation and prayer to block out the noise.

Bubble Bushes

I'm back in NY and soooo happy. I have three new pictures to share with you today. The first is this one I took from a taxi while headed to Soho for lunch with Paul Sunday. Would Midwesterners dare to shape their boxwoods into bubbles like this business did? I love it!