Blizzard

All day Friday it RAINED snow making it difficult to see across the river at times. The wind was very strong.

Workers came to put the crane to bed before the storm. They covered large stacks of material with blue tarp. The wind tried its best to undue all their work.

Saturday morning, and Long Island City families head outside to explore the new snow in Gantry Park below our window.

I snapped this shot as we headed to breakfast. The kids' hats, gloves, and pants were caked with snow. The dad seemed pretty proud.

It's a bit of a problem with the sidewalks not yet shoveled.

Here, our apartment is roped off about 12 feet away from the building to keep pedestrians safe from falling ice.

Nice Touch

At this french restaurant, Henri's, the cream for our coffee was served steamed. That was a first--and a very nice touch. The server told us that other places charge for that, but not them.

Look how pretty the presentation was for my french toast with its slivered almonds. . .

. . . and bowl of fruit sprinkled with powdered sugar.

A Real Fireplace

You don't see many wood-burning fireplaces anymore, especially in restaurants. We walked 12 blocks on a very cold and windy night to get to Mandetta's for dinner, and what a welcomed sight this sparkling fireplace was! 

I think someone's grandmother had decorated the mantel for Valentines Day--it was so old-fashioned and cozy!

My husband suggested I take a BEFORE AND AFTER picture of his salad of candied walnuts with roasted apples on a bed of greens which were contained inside the cylinder of a very thin cucumber slice.

The New York Diner

Hubby and I had breakfast at the Court Square Diner about ten blocks from our place.  I read that it's been used many times to film TV shows including 30 Rock and Law and Order. It was a great place to people watch that day. Here are two very different couples enjoying a meal.

 

The New Crane Rises

Construction of the new crane began early Saturday and ended at 10 p.m. Two blocks of streets were cordoned off as each segment came in on a semi from New Jersey. I missed seeing it lifted to its upright position, but I did watch it being moved into position in the dark of night--like watching a prehistoric praying mantis creep into a corner of a kid's Lego play set.

The one that fell last month was 40 years old. There is a computer in the cab that indicates the weight of each load. It's not certain if the computer malfunctioned or the operator mis-read it. 

The Only Church in My Neighborhood

St. Mary's Roman Catholic Church is a little church in my neighborhood. I took these pictures while waiting for my husband to meet me for dinner last night. I'm sure most of its members are locals who have no clue how to manage (invite?) their new neighbors living in the luxury high rises. I learned from their blog they did recently offer a class on how to play the spoons.  

The Wake of the Destruction of the Crane Collapse

The crane has been cleaned up from the construction site, and what's left is a clear view of the damage. It won't take them long to fix it, but I wonder if they'll have to tear down much to begin again. I'll keep you posted. (I've included more pictures from my place because the sun is finally shining through the clouds today.)