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Manhattanhenge – A Metropolitan Phenomenon

Posted in BY THE WAY, New York Speaks, Only in New York, tagged American Museum of Natural History, Art, Manhattan grid streets, Manhattanhenge, Neil deGrasse Tyson, New York City, phenomenon, sunsets on May 31, 2015| Leave a Comment »

I’m sorry I missed Manhattanhenge this year because I was out-of-town. However, my loss is no reason for all of you not to hear about and see exactly what Manhattanhenge is.

The following article is credited to Neil deGrasse Tyson and was featured on the American Museum of Natural History’s website;

Sunset looking down 34th Street. One of two days when the sunset is exactly aligned with the grid of streets in Manhattan.
Copyright © 2001, Neil deGrasse Tyson

What will future civilizations think of Manhattan Island when they dig it up and find a carefully laid out network of streets and avenues? Surely the grid would be presumed to have astronomical significance, just as we have found for the pre-historic circle of large vertical rocks known as Stonehenge, in the Salisbury Plain of England. For Stonehenge, the special day is the summer solstice, when the Sun rises in perfect alignment with several of the stones, signaling the change of season.

For Manhattan, a place where evening matters more than morning, that special day comes twice a year, when the setting Sun aligns precisely with the Manhattan street grid, creating a radiant glow of light across Manhattan’s brick and steel canyons, simultaneously illuminating both the north and south sides of every cross street of the borough’s grid. A rare and beautiful sight. These two days happen to correspond with Memorial Day and Baseball’s All Star break. Future anthropologists might conclude that, via the Sun, the people who called themselves Americans worshiped War and Baseball.

For these two days, as the Sun sets on the grid, half the disk sits above and half below the horizon. My personal preference for photographs. But the day after also offers Manhattanhenge moments, but at sunset, you instead will find the entire ball of the Sun on the horizon.

Unnoticed by many, the sunset point actually creeps day to day along the horizon: northward until the first day of summer, then returning southward until the first day of winter. In spite of what pop-culture tells you, the Sun rises due east and sets due west only twice per year. On the equinoxes: the first day of spring and of autumn. Every other day, the Sun rises and sets elsewhere on the horizon. Had Manhattan’s grid been perfectly aligned with the geographic north-south line, then the days of Manhattanhenge would coincide with the equinoxes. But Manhattan’s street grid is rotated 30 degrees east from geographic north, shifting the days of alignment elsewhere into the calendar.

Note that any city crossed by a rectangular grid can identify days where the setting Sun aligns with their streets. But a closer look at such cities around the world shows them to be less than ideal for this purpose. Beyond the grid you need a clear view to the horizon, as Manhattan has across the Hudson River to New Jersey. And tall buildings that line the streets create a vertical channel to frame the setting Sun, creating a striking photographic opportunity.

True, some municipalities have streets named for the Sun, like Sunrise Highway on Long Island and the Sunset Strip in Los Angeles. But these roads are not perfectly straight. And the few times a year when the Sun aligns with one of their stretches of road, all you get is stalled traffic solar glare temporarily blinds drivers.

So Manhattanhenge may just be a unique urban phenomenon in the world, if not the universe.

Note that several years ago, an article in the New York Times identified this annual event as the Manhattan Solstice. But of course, the word solstice translates from the Latin solstitium, meaning stopped sun, in reference to the winter and summer solstices where the Sun’s daily arc across the sky reaches its extreme southerly and northerly limits. Manhattanhenge comes about because the Sun’s arc has not yet reached these limits, and is on route to them, as we catch a brief glimpse of the setting Sun along the canyons of our narrow streets.

While we are on the subject, when viewed from all latitudes north of the Tropic of Cancer (23.5 degrees north latitude), the Sun always rises at an angle up and to the right, and sets and an angle down and to the right. That’s how you can spot a faked sunrise in a movie: it moves up and to the left. Filmmakers are not typically awake in the morning hours to film an actual sunrise, so they film a sunset instead, and then time-reverse it, thinking nobody will notice.

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NOT The BEST Birthday – Part Two

Posted in BY THE WAY, FAMILY & FRIENDS, tagged friend, keys, locksmith, messenger on May 25, 2015| 3 Comments »

I had a friend in need and I am a friend indeed. About a week ago, a friend of mine asked me to help her out because she was going on vacation to the Bahamas and needed someone to straighten up her apartment and give the keys to some women she was letting use her place. When she mentioned what day she would need me, I realized it would be my birthday, but I didn’t tell her because she would be upset that she asked me and then have to scramble to find someone else. I mean really how hard could this be? Clean up the apartment a bit, make sure the sheets were clean and meet them with the keys about 6:00pm.

KEYS

I figured I could do the work in the morning, then go to the office and be back in time to let them in. WRONG! She had left her keys with my doorman a few days earlier. When I opened up the bag, I saw a LOT of keys, unmarked of course – Not a good sign. And then the phone calls and texts began… There was a set of keys with an orange tag and those keys were for some office space in another borough, possibly someone might come and pick them up, possibly… And by the way, if it hasn’t rained lately would I please water the plants in her garden? Oh sure.

On the morning of my birthday, I woke up in a bad mood, didn’t open any of my cards or the two presents that were there. NOT a good start to the day. I went to my friend’s apartment and after trying each of the 15 keys in the bag, I finally got in. Once I was in the hallway and in front of her door, the dog across the hall started to bark and bark and bark and bark. It sounded like a very upset German Shepherd!

I’m in the apartment and putting away some clean dishes, mugs and silverware left in the dishwasher and there was something wrong with the silverware drawer – there really wasn’t one. Apparently, the forks and spoons went in one drawer, the knives in another and the utensils were in big jars. The drawers seemed jumbled so my OCD kicked in and I straightened them out. Since I know how I am about putting things in their appropriate place, I felt the the strong need to do the same in her apartment. That required a couple more calls; like where does the small glass bowl go and oh by the way, did she know there were only four bath towels in the closet? “NO” she did not! So could I call the laundromat and have them pick up and deliver the dirty towels in the hamper? Well at least she didn’t ask me to do the washing myself!

I had asked Peter to come with me and maybe between the two of us we could whip this place up in no time. So you (Peter) do the watering and I’ll make the bed. Oh for God’s sake, he couldn’t find the hose. So like a jerk I call her instead of looking around myself and when she tells me where it is, I point it out to you know who and of course if it had teeth it would have bitten him in the ass. Then I’m hearing that he didn’t know gardening was part of this favor and he’s wearing white suede shoes. So? So don’t get them wet!!! Believe it or not, he couldn’t figure out how to turn the hose off – I’m not kidding at which point I screamed, “please go home and leave me alone”.

Finally we’re done and I’d come back before the women arrive to receive the laundry and then open the door for them. I left all the keys in the apartment except for two on a little ring. Peter was to pick out two of the loose keys and match them to the ones left in the bowl on the table by my friend; Those were the two keys that would open the main door and the apartment door.

Who Put The Wrong Keys On The Ring?

I went back to my own apartment, it was gray and chilly out, not too propitious for a birthday. I wasn’t in the best of mood so I decided to just stay home, do the laundry and iron the last of the summer clothes. So far the best part of this day was getting a free Venti Americano from Starbucks because it was my birthday!

I went back about 5:30pm thinking I would give myself enough time to get the laundry delivery, put the towels in the closet and wait for the guests. I couldn’t get into the building! Neither of the keys fit – damnation. I ring several buzzers and finally someone lets me in after I tell them who I am and where I’m going. As soon as I get to her door, the monster dog across the hall starts barking and barking and barking. The keys won’t open her door either. I can’t f_____g believe it and call Peter up screaming about the wrong keys being on the ring. He feigns no knowledge of such a mistake so I hang up on him. I frantically call my friend and try to have a conversation with her while the maniacal dog across the hall continues to bark at the door. We discuss a locksmith and then she says, try a credit card. Of course I don’t have one with me. Just then Peter shows up and luckily he had an old card we could use. After 20 minutes of dog barking and trying, he actually gets the door lock to slip and we’re in! Thank God! I send him home and sit down to wait for the laundry and the guests.

My cell phone rang, it was my daughter grand kids all singing Happy Birthday to me! Of course they’re on cell phone speaker so it’s hard to hear with all the background noise but I was thrilled to hear from them. Just as I am talking to my daughter, my cell phone is beeping in with call #2 and it is my friend. I hang up with the kids saying I will be home in 30 minutes or so and let’s do FaceTime. I don’t even remember why she called!!

It’s now about 6:45pm and no one has arrived. My phone rings and it’s my son calling from California to wish me Happy Birthday. Since he asked I start to tell him some of my so far shitty day and the door buzzer rings. I ask him to hold on. I open the apt. door to go to the front door and realize it will lock behind me so I stick my Kindle in the door frame. I’m back on the phone and my cell phone beeps again and I see it is my friend so “…can I call you back Joel”? No of course not, he has a photo shoot and a rehearsal and even later tonight will not be late enough for him so I suggest the weekend and hang up. It’s my friend wondering if I got in and did the laundry arrive? YES! And can I leave a set of keys with my doorman for another friend to pick up just in case someone needs to get in while she is away because I am going away next week? YES I will do that.

At 7:30 there are still no guests. At 7:45pm I call my friend and beseech her to find out just where the hell these women are! Apparently their train was delayed an hour and a half – so why didn’t they call???? By 8:15 they have arrived, exhausted from their 8 hour train trip and I have a fixed smile on my face while I show them around and give them keys and suggest they go to the diner for dinner. Maybe I’ll even see them there since I’m still in jeans and a tee shirt and it’s my birthday and I’m sure not cooking!

I call Peter once I’m outside and tell him to join me because I’m not coming home – I want to eat something. As we round the corner heading to the diner, I see Arturo’s, a very nice neighborhood Italian restaurant and once inside with a glass of wine I am finally enjoying some of this birthday. AMEN.

It never ends sometimes and Mercury is in full retrograde. The next day I left the keys in an envelope addressed to Jennifer per instructions and a messenger was to pick them up. Then she ( my soon-to-be-ex-friend) texts me some message I really don’t understand so I text back an inane reply. The house phone rings and it’s our doorman saying there is a man here to pick up an envelope for Fay. WHO? Oh geez! I tell him to have the messenger wait and I will be right down. Apparently the text was to let me know that the keys were going to someone else BUT the messenger was supposed to know that the envelope was addressed to Jennifer BUT of course the doorman was clueless and he wasn’t going to give the envelope over. I straightened all of that out and the keys left – Thank God!

Once I got to the office I felt better, that is until I tried to print something!!!!

'Our printer cartridge cost are through the rood. Have someone in IT wirelessly connect all of our printers to a mimeograph machine.'

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NOT the BEST Birthday – Part One

Posted in BY THE WAY, tagged communication problems, computer crashes, copiers, emails, IT guys, mercury in retrograde, miscommunication, office politics, printers on May 25, 2015| 2 Comments »

BEWARE!

MERCURY IN RETROGRADE

Things began to go wrong two days before my birthday, which I now see as foreshadowing. My company decided to upgrade (or downgrade depending on how you look at it) our email system. We were being moved to a Microsoft Office system. It probably sounded like a good idea at some Executive staff meeting, it might have even looked good on paper BUT, but, OMG! Not Good! I think there was one whole day where we couldn’t get any emails at all. Thank goodness for smart phones! The grumbling and mumbling under one’s breath went on all day. Some people even went home only to find out that they couldn’t access from there either.

Uh Oh There He Goes!

Day 2: They brought in a new printer. NOTHING was wrong with our old color printer/copier – at least nothing apparent to us lay people. We all knew how to use it, even the by-pass tray! Of course, the new copier did not working or at least didn’t for those of us who sit on that side of the office. That day we had to send our printing to the other side of the office, a bit inconvenient but, after all we had so much more time to do so because we couldn’t answer our emails anyway.

Here We Are In The Middle of Mercury In Retrograde

Day 3: Two IT guys camp out in our office. They are attempting to install the new upgraded email system on each computer. Foolishly I asked one of them if he could look at the printer but NO, he was only working on emails today. He did tell me what the new email access address would be so I could get my emails at home. Encouraging! So that night after dinner, I tried to get some emails while my phone was charging – the addresses didn’t work. Not surprised.

Day 4: Supposedly the printer is set up to work with everyone’s computer. So when I sent something to the printer, an error message came up saying the printer was OFFLINE. Seriously? I asked Christina, our office manager to come help me and she showed me this elaborate 5 step process to do in order to retrieve your copies. Interesting…but it worked. It involved seeing the error light, having a screen with 10 icons on it pop up that indicates where the problem is ( ha ha ha) and then hitting cancel, and then pushing the reset button and then the copy button and then your page came out but not on the tray! This is what I should do until the IT guys came back and fixed it. Ai yi yi…. Well okay that worked but I told Christina, “There’s another little glitch. I had set the computer to print two copies and only one came out”. She couldn’t believe it and as it was the end of the day, we both just gave up. I actually tried that twice and each time only one came out, so now I figured when they fix this thing, a whole bunch of random pages will come spewing out.

Everyone was a bit frazzled, I walked by the concierge desk and as our leasing manager went by I heard him say, “What is going on here”? I just looked at him and said, “Mercury is in retrograde”.

The End Result

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The Life and Times of A Curtain Rod

Posted in BY THE WAY, FAMILY & FRIENDS, tagged Asbury Park, Beanie Babies, brackets, curtain rod, Habitats for Humanity, Jersey Shore, Made in China, New York City, Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants on March 12, 2015| 3 Comments »

Did you ever wonder where things come from and where they end up? Well, of course I’m not talking about something you bought in a store because we all know that item originated in China, Korea or Taiwan passed through the port of New York and ended up in Chicago!

Actually a friend of ours needed a curtain rod; Not just any curtain rod, a certain kind that might extend the length of her oversized floor to ceiling window. My husband prowled around all the obvious stores in the neighborhood and nothing was to be found. He happened to mention this when he was at the drugstore (and God only knows how you work that into a conversation) and the druggist mentioned he might have what we needed. Why would the drugstore have a curtain rod? Turns out, he owns the building and he is about to renovate the apartments upstairs and invited Peter to go upstairs and help himself.

It Looked Like This One

He wandered through a couple of units and sure enough he found a lovely rod with finials and he removed the brackets that held and triumphantly returned home with his prize. I took one look at it and said, “That won’t work”. Sorry I deflated his balloon but facts are facts and it just wouldn’t fit.

Naturally I wanted it to immediately find its way to the trash room but oh no, he thought it was good to throw out. Once again for at least the 100th time, I remind him that items put in the trash room are hardly ever really thrown away. First it has to get past the porters and the Super; If they don’t need it or know of a tenant who can use it, it gets put out on the sidewalk with the bagged trash, BUT. Things on the street in New York have a way of finding new homes for themselves long before the sanitation workers arrive. However, apparently even this potential new life wasn’t good enough for this rod. My husband wanted to give it to someone who needed it!

Naturally, if you know this household and the dynamics of our relationship, the rod hung around for a couple of weeks. Finally I said, “Enough is enough, out it goes”! That certainly sent quivers through him and so I offered an alternative; At least take it to the thrift shop and let someone who needs it, buy it.

It just so happened that he was on his way to New Jersey and so the rod, its brackets, a few books, two Beanie Babies and a stereo receiver and two speakers were sent to Habitats for Humanity in Asbury Park, NJ. So as you think about it, the rod which began one of its lives in Manhattan will probably be holding up curtains somewhere on the Jersey Shore.

And there you have the life and times of a curtain rod or a weird version of The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants.

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Gray Days and Grace Gotham – This is MY CITY!

Posted in BY THE WAY, FAMILY & FRIENDS, New York Speaks, Only in New York, tagged America Today, Byzantine art, Caravaggio, February, Frozen, Grace Gotham, Grace Gotham Gourmet, Hortense Fiquet, hot air heat, Italian Rennaisance, Jackson Pollack, Madame Cezanne, Manhattan, Metropolitan Museum of Art, NYC, Paul Cezanne, Seurat, Tassel to Table Cuisine, Thomas Hart Benton, Van Gogh on February 27, 2015| 2 Comments »

Of late, I’ve been blue or maybe gray is a better color description; Not because I went to see Fifty Shades of Gray, but rather because there are so many things going on in my life. Work has been troublesome and the immediate future in that arena doesn’t look very promising. I seem to be in a time and place where if it can go wrong, it does AND it always costs $$$.

Then there’s the fact that it’s February and it’s been so cold here for so long that I can’t imagine we are actually going to have Spring next month. The gray days of January and February are bad enough but when you live in The City, it can be downright depressing. Imagine walking to walk when the wind is blowing and the temperature is in single digits. Then imagine how it is to walk on sidewalks slick with frozen slush or cross streets where each corner is either a black pool or frozen lumps worn slippery by the hundreds of people walking on them. OK, OK, enough already right? NO! When the sun comes out and it does, the slick stuff melts and is black slush, something you would never ever walk in and the edges of the sidewalks are lined with piles of snow in Fifty Shades of Gray and Black and are embedded with trash. This is NOT a criticism of the Sanitation Workers, because for 3 weeks alternate side parking rules have been suspended which means the streets have not been cleaned!

So now that I’ve painted the ugliest picture of NYC and haven’t begun to complain about the forced hot air heat that every apartment has, I will. I hate the dry hot air which makes my hair fly around with electricity and my face crack, not to mention getting a bloody nose as all my nasal passages dry out. Yuk that’s awful!! SORRY!

BUT THEN, there’s this…We left the apartment about 5:00 this evening and took the bus up to Fifth Avenue and walked over the Metropolitan Museum. This IS a world treasure, there’s no doubt about it. I take it way too much for granted and don’t visit the museum often enough. We had in mind a few exhibits we wanted to see but of course walking through the museum on your way to one hall or another you are surrounded by art, sculpture, etchings, and artifacts from around the world! Literally if you have never been to the MET, then you really can’t imagine how big it is, how chock full of treasures it is and how accessible it is! We marveled at Byzantine carvings, admired paintings by Jackson Pollack, Seurat, Pissaro, Van Gogh and more AND we hadn’t even gotten to the exhibits.

We saw drawings and sketches by Paul Cezanne and the complete set of his portraits of Madame Cezanne. Hortense Fiquet, (Madame Cezanne) was Cezanne’s favorite model, who he eventually married to legitimize his bastard son. She posed for 29 portraits, never moving an inch and not talking since Paul Cezanne preferred his models to be silent. This is the first time that the set of paintings known as Madame Cezanne in a Red Chair have ever been exhibited all together and in fact, they have never been together since they left Cezanne’s studio. Then we were off to see the Caravaggio’s or at least that’s what we thought. The exhibit was not exactly paintings done by him, it was more about the origin and evolution of musical instruments popular in the time of Caravaggio. However, we did get to view priceless Tintoretto’s and other Italian Renaissance painters. The paintings were very religious and very beautiful.

We saved the best for last and headed to the American Wing where the fabulous mural, America Today painted by Thomas Hart Benton was displayed. It’s a breath-taking, wall-to-wall panorama of life in America in the 1920’s. The palette is rich in primary colors as befitting the strength of the muscled boxers, workers and the whole work itself. Below is just one of the ten panels that make up this epic work.

AMERICA TODAY

But before we went into the room that housed these magnificent panels, we spent considerable time viewing his preliminary sketches, his models which were drawings and even small paintings of future sections of the mural-to-be. There were practice sketches of hands in different poses, of complicated parts of machinery cobbled together and of many characters who would appear in the mural. This is where I saw beautiful, sexy women just oozing femininity and each with the sparkle of life in the 20’s in their eyes. They reminded me of my friend, the gorgeous Grace Gotham. She exudes sensuality when she performs and was surely born in this era before her more recent incarnation. Her burlesque performances are stellar with her as the shining star; lithe, graceful and luscious, Grace could have been one of Benton’s models! But don’t take my word for it, you can see for yourself at http://www.gracegotham.com. Meet Grace!

Grace Gotham

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AIWYFI – Art Is Where You Find It

Posted in Fab Fotos, Ha-P 2 B in OG, tagged Asbury Park, beach, Jersey Shore, Murray Head, Ocean Grove, sea gulls, The Shore on December 23, 2014| 5 Comments »

Of course it helps if you have a good eye for art or an artist’s eye that captures the art of everyday things. My friend, Murray is an artist; He uses his eyes and the camera lens to capture the pure simplicity of the ordinary, the commonplace and when he takes the shot, it becomes art. See for yourself. The photographs were taken Thanksgiving weekend on the Jersey Shore. There is beauty at the beach in the winter. Without the maddening crowds, you can actually SEE more.

Destruction Destiny

I Walk The Line

I’m The King Of The World

Beach Berries

Fair Feather We’re Having

True North

On The Second Day Of Christmas, 2 Cats A Sitting

The Angry Eel

High Tide Geysers

Libra Gulls

There is quiet beauty at The Shore!

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You Know Things Are Going Downhill WHEN….

Posted in BY THE WAY, Smooth or Crunchy, tagged back pain, black refrigerator, Christmas tree at the MET, cottage, furnace, Manhattan, mercury in retrograde, no heat, Ocean Grove, Rocekefeller Center, SAG movies, superintendent on December 20, 2014| 3 Comments »

SATURDAY

A week ago today, I woke up and could hardly walk! Somehow, some way, my lower back seemed to have disconnected from the rest of my torso. Well that’s what it felt like. I couldn’t stand up straight and even I popped two Tylenol, an hour later, still in pain. I spent all of last Saturday in my apartment hobbling around and moaning now and then. By evening I took the one and only Alleve in the house. We have two vintage deco lamps on our piano, one of the bulbs burnt out.

SUNDAY

After a very fitful night of sleep, I woke up and still in severe discomfort. A long hot shower with the water pouring on my back only felt good while I was in the shower. Given that we were in the apartment where the hot water supply is seemingly endless, I considered staying there forever. However, the thought of more wrinkly skin and vanity being what it is, I decided I better get out and try to move around. Believe it or not, there were still some reindeer that had to be put out. Reindeer, you say? Yes reindeer, my ecumenical concession to my Jewish husband when it comes to Christmas decorations. Of course there’s a wreath and even two metal sculpture trees which light up from within with a candle. And there are Christmas cards, usually NOT holiday cards, and two vintage stockings hung from the fireplace as well as a few Christmas village houses nestled among the plants on the living room window sill. The warrior in me soldiers on. By early evening I take one the two Tylenol with Codeine we have in the house. One of the light bulbs in a foyer lamp has burnt out.

MONDAY

Thinking I had a Monday morning meeting, I scramble around as best I can, still my lower back not working in conjunction with any other body part. I’m walking half bent over and on a tilt. I know I can’t walk to work so I take a taxi. WHAT? NO MEETING??!!! Well sitting at my desk is no more uncomfortable than sitting at home and besides at the office I have a whole bunch of sympathizers around me. Actually sitting or lying down on my back with my legs curled up to my chest IS the only comfortable position. Today Peter and I are going to the afternoon SAG movie, Mr. Turner. I leave my office at 2:00pm to catch the 2nd Ave bus and will transfer at 57th St to a crosstown bus which will take me to West 57th St at 6th Ave. The traffic on 2nd Avenue is a f_ _ _ _g nightmare. The bus does not move. It takes the bus more than 30 minutes to get to 55th St from 79th St. YES I could have walked there quicker but I can’t really walk. At 2:45, sirens are screaming as everything comes to a halt and let’s an ambulance through. If you’ve never been to Midtown during the Christmas season, you really can’t imagine what is going on…it’s absolute gridlock everywhere; Pedestrians crossing at all points, more cars on the street than ever, the windows of Bergdorf and Tiffany beckoning crowds and the tree at Rockefeller Center causing more jam -ups.

Far INTO the Maddening Crowd

At 2:55 I’m at 57th St and between Madison and Fifth and we have stopped again (not that we ever really roll along) and now two firetrucks are approaching from the west and all vehicles move over. There’s is some stupid little black car that is playing chicken with the bus and wants to get in front of us! I’ve got to get to 6th Ave and be in the theater before 3pm because then they lock the doors! I telephone Peter and tell him I probably won’t make it and will go home. By 2:58 we still haven’t crossed 6th Avenue to the bus stop. When we do I practically leap off the bus and make my way across the street and up to the theater. It IS after 3pm and even though I’m bent over a bit I look up and see a woman going in and then another. I try to walk faster and when I get to the doors I can’t believe they’re still unlocked. At that moment, Peter comes into the lobby to see if I’ve made it. The nice lady at the entry desk greets me with “Thank goodness, you made it”. When I tell her I’ve been on a bus for an hour, she suggests I should have walked!

When the movie is over and it is over 2 hours long, we go out to find a) it’s raining b) I will never make it home in time to hostess my Mah Jongg group at 6:30 and c) I cannot take the subway which would be quicker because I can’t negotiate the stairs! and d) the bus doesn’t appear to be an option because as far as the eye can see, it’s traffic, traffic, traffic and I can’t imagine getting on a bus again. I call one of the players and ask her to call the others and delay the game by a half hour. Peter is annoyed because I’m in a rush, can’t walk and we are in frigging Midtown in the middle of the the Christmas holiday which looks a little like Times Square on New Year’s Eve. I start to walk east in the rain, bent over while he is kvetching about no rain coat and no hat. He also has predicted that I will NEVER get a cab because by now, I have walked (read hobbled) as far as Fifth Ave. and gone south to 56th St hoping to avoid the madness of 57th St. OMG there is a cab two cars away – I am waving my arm like a lunatic and rushing thru moving traffic to grab that cab. Thank you Lord and the TLC. Just before my guests arrive, I take the last Tylenol with Codeine.

TUESDAY

I have to meet an appraiser in the morning and then I’m off to the office. Actually standing up a bit taller and feeling pretty good. Tuesday is also a SAG movie night but this time I have to be there by 6pm. Janice, my friend from the office is also invited to tonight’s screening so we’re going to go together. I tell her there’s no way we can go the bus route, we have to take the subway system. Janice is not all that familiar with the subway connections so I say, “Just follow me”. First we wait and wait in the rain (yes raining again) for a bus. But since NYC is always doing something that requires scaffolding we are at least standing under the shed (bottom floor of scaffolding) while we wait and wait. The though of trying to walk mostly at an incline to Lexington Ave to get on the subway seems like a really painful option so I say let’s wait another minute or two for the bus to come. Well waiting for a bus to come in NYC in the rain is like waiting for a tea kettle to boil. At this point Janice wonders if her Metro card has any money on it. The bus comes and as I walk down the aisle I hear that dreaded sound of a bleep rather than a ding signifying the passenger’s Metro card has insufficient funds. Luckily the driver says she owes 55 cents and lets her drop the change into the slot. Janice has got to add money to her card when we get to the subway station. We have to walk two blocks from the bus to the subway and halfway there Janice calls for a halt. Well once we are at the subway station, of course we miss the train that is there because JB has no money on her card!!! Oy! Another train comes along fairly quickly and I lead her through the rush hour hordes of people to the another subway line on 59th St. Soon we are on an R train headed for 7th Ave and 57th St. We arrive at the theater with time to spare – traveling underground is really the only way to go at this time of year. When we got home, a bulb in one of the den lamps burnt out.

WEDNESDAY

The back pain is not only still there, it is bad. Our office is donating toys to Cassidy’s Place and I go out at lunch time to find a suitable gift – this is the last day to donate. We are having a meeting at 3pm and a holiday toast at 4pm. It’s a very busy day. By 3:00 my back is aching so I got two aspirin from the front desk and washed them down with champagne! By the time the meeting was over and the party underway, I felt ok. But not for long. I had to meet my friend, Barbara for a holiday dinner à deux and walking the few blocks to the restaurant was just agonizing. Dinner was wonderful, the food was great, the company delightful. Unfortunately I had to walk home and even though it was only a few blocks I just inched along in the rain- Yes raining again!

THURSDAY

Before I left for the day I opened the freezer and OMG the stuff in there was slightly defrosted and I thought maybe the door had been ajar all night. The night before I had a couple of spoonfuls of ice cream and maybe I didn’t close the door completely! Surely the diet gods are behind this! I’m meeting Janice at a property a few blocks away so I walk there and by the time I arrive I know that I can’t go along on these showings because there will be a lot of walking along the way. I go back to the office and sit. Once home, I put this massaging machine behind me and just let the pressure and circular movements massage the base of my back. Peter is about to make a drink and head to the freezer to get some ice cubes only to discover that THERE IS NOTHING FROZEN IN THE FREEZER!! The ice cubes are water, the broccoli is mush, the frozen fruit is soggy and soft and all of the herbs have turned into green slime. Just f_ _ _ _g great! It’s 8:00 at night and I don’t know whether we need to call our landlord who of course will not be in his office or try the Super. Peter heads downstairs and as luck would have it, our Superintendent is in his office. Technically, he is supposed to do work in our apt only at the behest of our landlord since we are not the shareholders – it gets complicated in New York. Anyway, once he heard of the dilemma he instructed a porter to switch out our refrigerator for one that was in a vacant apt. First all of the food had to be removed and a lot of the stuff thrown out. The refrigerator was actually pretty cold because it hadn’t been opened all day. After a lot of measuring and moving of furniture in both the living room and the dining room (because that’s the only way this new refrigerator was going to get into the kitchen), the door were removed, the old one moved away from the wall giving us full view of years of dust and stuff. The new refrigerator is bigger than the old one and it’s BLACK! By 9:30 I’m microwaving some Chinese noodle soup that had defrosted.

OMG It’s Black!

FRIDAY

We finally got ourselves out the door and headed to Ocean Grove for the weekend. We hadn’t been to the cottage in two weeks so when we arrived it was about 50 degrees! I pushed up the thermostat and began to unload our stuff. Once done, we headed off to do grocery shopping just as the house was warming up. The cats curled up in their beds which are next to a radiator.

Actually Nora Decided To Sleep With Nicky

We got home at about 6pm and wow the house felt cold. After unloading bags and bags of groceries which required the door being open, I checked the thermostat and pushed it up higher to get the heat to kick on. Five minutes, ten minutes – NO HEAT. There’s a whole lot of cursing going on…. Peter goes to the basement which is actually only a Yankee basement, not much bigger than a Manhattan kitchen and to reach it you have to climb down a ladder, not stairs and of course move about 10 things that are stashed in the back area which I refer to as the Hoosier room. He finds a reset button and nothing happens. We wait. He pushes the button again and after a few minutes, the furnace kicks on. Pretty soon the radiators are hot. And then 15 minutes later, the furnace stops. By 8:30 we are freezing and again tempers are flaring, it is really, really cold in the house and someone (not me) thinks going back to NYC is the answer. NO WAY! I’m not leaving the house with no possible heat so the pipes can freeze and burst – you know who grew up in an apartment building! We call the emergency number and are told we will get a return call. NO CALL. At 10:00 we call again and about 11:00 we get a call. The nice man on the phone who had been sleeping was willing to come out BUT I suggested he try to walk Peter through some possible solutions. After 45 minutes on the phone, the furnace kicked on. And 15 minutes later it stopped. The only possible choice we have at this point is to go to bed with a lot of covers and hopefully a cat too. Before I went upstairs I really wanted to finish watching the finale of Grace Point which was On Demand. I had a heat shirt on under my pajama top, a corduroy shirt over that, a scarf around my neck and gloves on and socks and slippers. I can’t fall asleep if my nose is cold and every time I sort of covered it, I felt like I wasn’t getting enough air. Not a good night.

SATURDAY

About 4:00 am I got up to use the bathroom and the radiators were hot. Oh joy! At 8:30 we woke up and the house was cold as were the radiators. OH NOT JOY. Peter calls the emergency number at 9:30 and is assured Gary will call us. At 11:00 am he calls again. No call back. Well by now I’m in the middle of making Beef Minestrone in the crock pot and roasting some cauliflower in the oven and oh boy that 450 degree oven helped to keep the kitchen warm. I made us hot oatmeal for breakfast. By 2:00pm we still had no call back and I called the emergency number and I was not as nice as Peter was about being trapped in a house that is registering 52 degrees waiting for a phone call. I told the not-pleasant- customer-service lady we had to get of this freezing place and gave them a cell phone number. Within 20 minutes we get a call from Gary who says he has tried to call us but our voice mailbox is full. WTF? There are no messages on our phone. He arrives shortly and is very personable and knowledgeable and after some looks here and there, he finds the problem. The furnace is over full of water causing some pressure problem but how did it get that way? 30 minutes later he discovers that the pig tail needs to be cleaned out. Don’t ask! As I write this last line, he is packing up his gear. The radiators are not hot yet but God and Gary willing they will be!

The day isn’t over yet so I’m not sure what else can go wrong today, you never know. I might have to call my sister-in-law, Juanita to see if Mercury is in retrograde because believe it or not, the kitchen light in the cottage wouldn’t go on but that turned out to only be a loose bulb and the battery on Peter’s computer died about an hour ago. Stay tuned….

Sign of the Times

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Cutesy Cubs For Cartier? Really? Really??

Posted in BY THE WAY, Smooth or Crunchy, tagged Absolut, ad campaign, Cartier, cubs, cutesy, gecko, Geico, has legs, Jewelry, panther, Piels beer, Tiffany's, Wendy's, Where's the Beef? on December 8, 2014| 3 Comments »

I really like some commercials and I admire clever ad campaigns. For example, how about the Absolut ad that appeared in the 90’s for years, each one more clever than the one before! I have a notebook full of Absolut Ads that depict various states, capitols, artists, emotions and ideas! This was an ad campaign that “had legs” as they say in the industry! I love the Geico Gecko, well really he is cute! But I hated the Geico cavemen commercials. Who can forget Wendy’s “Where’s the beef?” Or Bert and Harry Piels?

Cutesy Cubs

A couple of years ago, I was (and still am) enamored and enchanted by the Cartier commercial, L’Odeyssee de Cartier. It is a spectacular piece, (in my opinion) and I’ve actually posted it on my blog previously. I raved about it to all my friends, much to the chagrin of my friend, Gail, who works for Tiffany’s !! I believe it was beautifully-crafted and targeted to the sophisticated clientele that actually shops at Cartier’s!

So what the heck is this year’s Cartier Christmas ad? It is as bad as last years which was almost cartoonish and now this year they have gone all Disney on us! We see two cute little cubs frolicking in the snow, knocking Cartier’s signature red boxes tumble down from the snow cliffs in the heavens to land under Christmas trees around the world. I don’t know whether or not Cartier has switched ad agencies or whether some company has convinced them that their brand is best represented by playfulness rather than mysterious, sexy fantasy which has been the hallmark of Cartier ads for several years. Cartier jewelry is not playful and it is not inexpensive, hardly the arena for young cub buyers!

If you haven’t seen this little ditty, take a look at this year’s Christmas ad.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H5uUBFngag8

Now watch this one and tell me which one do you think best represents the Cartier brand?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yaBNjTtCxd4

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Don’t Throw It Out! Thursday’s Top Ten Pantry Items Live Forever!

Posted in BY THE WAY, Thursday's Top Ten, tagged alcohol, cornstarch, dried beans, Honey, Maple syrup, millennium, pure vanilla extract, Rice, Salt, shelf life, Sugar, white vinegar on December 5, 2014| 1 Comment »

This is one time you don’t have to look at the expiration date on a food item. Believe it or not I have a list of 10 items that seem to have the shelf life of a millennium and I don’t mean a Hostess Twinkie!

When stored properly — in an airtight container, kept in a cool, dry place — there are a number of pantry staples that can last just about forever.

We’re not talking until the end of time forever, although some of these staples just may hold up that long. Rather, when stored properly, these items can last years tucked away in the pantry.

The Twelfth Of Never Is A Long, Long Time!

The Simplest Reason Why Food Goes Bad
There are a number of reasons why food goes bad, but one of the main causes is bacteria growth. The main culprit for bacteria growth in food is moisture — when moisture is present, it creates an ideal breeding ground for bacteria.

These foods either aren’t very susceptible to moisture and bacteria growth, or actively discourage bacteria (as in the case of alcohol). Others of these depend quite a bit on proper storage.

10 Foods That Can Last Nearly Forever
A common theme in extending the shelf life of these foods is storing them in a sealed container in a cool, dry place.

1. Salt: Salt is a preservative, and when stored in a cool, dry place, it will last a really long time.

2. Rice: While the shelf life of brown rice holds at about twelve months, white rice — including jasmine, basmati, and arborio varieties — will last indefinitely when stored properly.

3. Honey: Because this natural sweetener has a low water content, it can last for years when stored in a sealed container and kept in a cool, dry spot. Even if it crystalizes or the color changes slightly, don’t throw it out — it’s still perfectly safe to eat.

4. Sugar: Sugar is another sweetener with no expiration. This includes all varieties — white, brown, and powdered. Be sure to store it in an airtight container to prevent moisture from dampening the sugar.

5. Vinegar: While all varieties of vinegar won’t last indefinitely, distilled white vinegar will last forever.

6. Pure vanilla extract: Pure vanilla costs a good deal more than its imitation counterpart, and for good reason. Not only is there a huge difference in taste, but pure vanilla also lasts a lot longer.

7. Dried beans: Store dried beans in a dark, dry place and they will last indefinitely. One thing to keep in mind, though, is that older beans may require longer soaking and cooking times.

8. Cornstarch: Cornstarch is a go-to thickener for pudding, sauce, and gravy. Most recipes use only a couple tablespoons, yet cornstarch is usually sold in large packages, but don’t worry — this is totally okay since it doesn’t have an expiration date. Just remember to keep the lid completely sealed and store it in a cool, dark place.

9. Maple syrup: As long as it’s unopened, pure maple syrup will last forever.

10. Alcohol: Even if it’s been opened, distilled liquor — like vodka, rum, gin, whiskey, and tequila — will last forever.

This blog post has been excerpted from The Kitchn (http://www.thekitchn.com/) of http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/

Thanks to my friend, Gail, chief sourcerer for Pbenjay for sending me the link to this article.

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Wildlife Wednesday – Who’s Acting SQUIRRELY??

Posted in FAMILY & FRIENDS, Friends, Ha-P 2 B in OG, Smooth or Crunchy, tagged backyard, birdfeeder, birdseed, Costco, dried corn, nuts, squirrel wheel, squirrels on December 4, 2014| 1 Comment »

My friend Murray Head loves squirrel watching as much my husband and I do. Better yet, he photographs these cute critters in the wilds of Central Park and in our backyard at the Shore. We feed the squirrels lots of peanuts and have ears of dried corn on a wheel. These backyard acrobats love to hang onto the spokes of the wheel and nibble the corn. Both Murray and my friend Wendy spent Thanksgiving with us and it was all about the squirrels because Wendy makes daily trips to Central Park where she feeds her squirrels. As soon as she starts up the path to her bench, the squirrels come running out to grab the almonds, hazelnuts and peanuts she brings them. Here we are at Costco loading up on food for our furry and feathered friends.

All photos courtesy of Murray Head